Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care

Reimagining mental health care in primary care

The Northwestern Medicine West Health Accelerator is reshaping how mental health care is being delivered by bringing it directly into primary care clinics through the proven Collaborative Care Model. By making mental health services part of everyday care, we're ensuring more people get the support they need—earlier, easier, and more efficiently.

With gratitude to the visionaries advancing healthcare innovation

Gary and Mary West are entrepreneurs and philanthropists committed to lowering healthcare costs and improving aging in America. Through West Health, they support the Northwestern Medicine West Health Accelerator to bring effective mental health care into primary care—helping more patients get the care they need, when and where they need it.

Meeting Mental Health Needs Now

The Accelerator is transforming care across 75 Northwestern Medicine primary care clinics, reaching 500,000 people. We're closing mental health gaps now—expanding access, improving outcomes and building a national model for integrated, whole-person care.

Integrating Tech into Treatment

The Accelerator drives smarter, more efficient care by teaming with health and technology leaders to integrate tools that expand access, streamline care and improve outcomes—bridging mental health and physical health in ways patients feel every day.

Using Quality Metrics to Deliver the Best Care

The Accelerator is leading the development of quality metrics focused on accountability, value and outcomes. These metrics guide how integrated care works at Northwestern Medicine—and inform national standards for measuring mental health integration in primary care.

Rethinking mental health care in America starts with primary care.

59M

American adults have a mental illness.

Untreated mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety are linked to higher rates of chronic physical conditions, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

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50%

of American adults with a mental illness do not receive any treatment.

Demand for high-quality treatments for common mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, continues to grow in the U.S. This leads to higher costs, limited access to care and many patients going untreated.

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87%

of Americans say it’s important for primary care providers to screen for anxiety and depression.

When mental health is part of primary care, patients are 3x more likely to get a diagnosis within 6 months compared to treatment as usual-so they can start feeling better, faster.

Source

Elevating Mental Health Care Through Operational Innovation

The Northwestern Medicine West Health Accelerator is transforming mental health care with smart, operational innovations that seamlessly embed mental health into primary care. Informed by experts in medicine, psychiatry and care delivery, it is shaping a model that improves quality, enhances efficiency and provides a blueprint for reshaping care for all Americans.

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Elevating Mental Health Care Through Operational Innovation

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Designed to Change How Care is Delivered

Applying Proven Frameworks

The Accelerator brings best practices in quality improvement, implementation science and change management to support and scale Northwestern Medicine's integrated mental health model—enhancing patient experience and outcomes.

Tech-Driven Solutions

A suite of tech-enabled tools and analytics helps track outcomes, optimize care and enable real-time learning, accelerating adoption across care teams.

Cross-Functional Approach

Through collaboration with clinical, operational, and tech teams, the Accelerator co-creates practical, scalable innovations that embed mental health into primary care in ways that are effective, efficient and sustainable.

Strengthening the Workforce

Led by primary care and psychiatric experts, the Accelerator builds clinical capacity through education, implementation support and workforce development.

Collaborative mental health care means benefits for patients and providers.

The Collaborative Care Model means more people can have access to the care they need—via primary care—using resources that already exist. This model supports providers and gives them the tools they need to help more patients, further enhancing timely, high-quality care.

Benefits for Primary Care Providers

Benefits for Patients

Support to treat mild to moderate anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders
Faster access to care and reduced wait times
Provider support through a team-based care model
Reimbursable through existing codes
Real-time data on patient progress and outcomes supported by user-friendly technology
Backed by over 90 clinical trials

Faster access to care for anxiety and depression through your primary care physician
Personalized support from a dedicated team of mental health experts
Treatment plan focused on long-term wellness
Consistent communication with your care team
High-quality mental health care that may be eligible for insurance coverage (coverage varies)

News

Launch of the Northwestern Medicine West Health Accelerator

The $8.6 million collaboration between Northwestern Medicine, West Health, and Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute is changing the future of mental health care.

Most Americans want physical health physicians to ask about mental health

According to a West Health Gallup survey, 7 in 10 Americans say they would prefer their care team ask about both physical and mental health concerns during appointments.