Pulse
Executive Q&A: Arkansas Business publisher Mitch Bettis interviews Brad Lacy and Jamie Gates of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce about recent trends in the local economy.
of Conway The premier source for business news in the North Metro region. JUNE 2022
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The rates of depression in young Arkansans exceed the national average.
Taking a Whole-Person Approach to Healthcare BY CURTIS BARNETT PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ARKANSAS BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD
When you examine the challenges facing healthcare today – access, affordability, quality, patient experience – behavioral health is front and center. I’m describing behavioral health conditions such as depression and anxiety, as well as substance use disorders caused by overuse of drugs or alcohol. When I talk about a “whole-person” approach to care, I am addressing a patient’s physical, behavioral, and social needs in its entirety. At Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, we believe a whole-person approach is the most effective way to improve overall health. Traditionally, healthcare
has focused on physical health, leaving a tremendous amount of behavioral health needs undiagnosed and unmet. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that 60% of those in need do not receive care for their behavioral health condition. I suspect you’ve been touched in some way by a behavioral health condition – an employee, a neighbor, family member or close friend. Too often patients and their families face a system that is hard to understand, navigate and access – a system hampered by stigma, barriers to care, high costs, and a shortage of clinicians. The challenges can be overwhelming. Continued on page 5.