In the face of rising pediatric mental health needs, Novant Health Twin City Pediatrics found itself at a crossroads. As adolescent mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety became more prevalent, clinicians found themselves increasingly fielding complex and time-consuming questions. These mild to moderate conditions required consistent follow-up and oversight, yet the surge in demand for mental health services made it difficult for patients to access timely care, particularly from providers who accepted their insurance. Many adolescents went without necessary treatment.
Thanks to a powerful partnership with Northwest AHEC and the guidance of Lara Dickerson, MHA, Senior Quality Improvement Specialist, the practice chose a different path—one of innovation, collaboration, and compassion.
Adair Stewart, Dr. Elizabeth Allen, Dr. Gretchen Hoyle, Lara Dickerson, Jennifer Cleland Green, Lauren Stokes |
The Challenge
Primary care pediatricians face a dilemma. Mental health visits are longer, emotionally taxing, and historically under-reimbursed. Yet the need is undeniable. Twin City Pediatrics chose to lean in—embracing the challenge rather than deflecting it.
The question became: Can mental health care in pediatrics be both impactful and financially viable? The answer, it turns out, is yes.
The Solution: Collaborative Care Model (CoCM)
With coaching from Lara Dickerson and guidance from AHEC Practice Support Services, Twin City Pediatrics implemented the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM). A practice which emphasizes collaboration between primary care physicians, care managers, and psychiatric consultants to improve access, outcomes, and patient satisfaction within the pediatric medical home.
Key components of the model include:
- A Behavioral Health Care Manager (BHCM) providing core services like parent coaching, brief therapeutic interventions, and referral coordination.
- A Psychiatric Consultant offering oversight and subspecialty advice..
- A Primary Care Provider trained in pediatric physical health.
- Validated clinical tools (PHQ-9, GAD-7, Vanderbilt, etc.) for measurement-based care.
- Customized EHR workflows and a patient registry to track progress and enable billing for behavioral health services within the primary care practice.
Practice Support Team Impact
The journey began with a conversation at the 2023 NC Pediatric Society Meeting, leading to a partnership with Northwest AHEC. Practice coach Lara Dickerson became a key ally, meeting monthly with the team for two years. Her support included:
- Coordinated with internal Novant departments (HR, billing, IT, compliance).
- Billing guidance and documentation templates.
- Consultation with NC Medicaid on psychiatric consultant roles.
- Staff training modules.
- Troubleshooting billing issues.
- Setting BHCM workload benchmarks.
- Secured a $50,000 Capacity Building Fund grant from Community Care of NC to support BHCM staffing.
Thanks to this comprehensive support, the program not only launched - it thrived.
The Results
By June 2025, the program became revenue-positive, six months ahead of schedule. With monthly BHCM costs of $5,400 and over $13,000 billed in June alone, the practice expects $6,500 in revenue—exceeding expenses by more than $1,100 per month. Today, the program includes a growing number of enrolled patients - many with complex needs - and is delivering tangible improvements in the lives of children and their families.
“The Psychiatric Collaborative Care Model has empowered our practice to provide meaningful, evidence-based mental health care for our pediatric patients. Our success is replicable, sustainable, and deeply impactful.”
— Gretchen S. Hoyle, MD - Twin City Pediatrics
“It was amazing to see how this model enables primary care practices to spend adequate time with each patient on physical and mental health concerns, developing treatment plans collaboratively with specialists and making a significant difference for kids in our community.”
— Christopher Jones, DrPH, MHA - Northwest AHEC
From Patients & Families
“I’m so glad he’s finally going to get the help he needs.”
“I’ve felt so alone for so long. Having someone to talk to means everything.”
“She is so much better. I can’t thank you enough.”
The integration of behavioral health care into primary care is now widely considered an effective strategy for improving outcomes for patients with physical and behavioral health conditions. Reverse integration of primary care into behavioral healthcare is another form of integration that produces improved quality of care and patient outcomes.
