Montefiore in the News

Recognized for Efforts to Integrate Medical and Behavioral Healthcare

NEW YORK (December 12, 2013) -- Montefiore Medical Center is pleased to announce Henry Chung, M.D., chief medical officer of Montefiore's Care Management Program and medical director of its Accountable Care Organization, received the Lewis and Jack Rudin New York Prize for Medicine and Health from the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) and the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) Foundation. Dr. Chung and Ruth Browne, S.C.D., M.P.H., M.P.P., CEO of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, who also received the award, were honored at an event yesterday evening at the New York Academy of Medicine in New York City.

The Lewis and Jack Rudin New York Prize for Medicine and Health was established in 2003 by the NYAM and GNYHA, together with the Rudin Family Foundation. The prize honors medical professionals from New York City institutions whose efforts demonstrate how the healthcare delivery system can work effectively with partners in public health and the community to address prevention, community health and health policy issues.

"Montefiore is fully integrating medical and behavioral healthcare within our ambulatory practices because we have seen how the close connection and coordination between providers leads to better outcomes for our patients." said Steven M. Safyer, M.D., president and CEO, Montefiore Health System. "Dr. Chung's leadership in this area and his ongoing collaboration with community partners have been instrumental in establishing a care model that can be replicated throughout our nation's health system. We are very proud of his accomplishments and congratulate him on receiving this prestigious recognition."

Dr. Chung provides medical leadership for care management and disease management activities for more than 250,000 patients enrolled in value-based programs at Montefiore. An associate professor of clinical psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, he has had a longstanding research and academic interest in medical management and re-engineering of ambulatory care processes in both primary care and behavioral health settings. His primary focus has been on improving the integration of medical and behavioral health care, particularly for racial and ethnic minorities.

"I am deeply humbled by this honor, which recognizes the critical importance of systematically integrating behavioral care and medical care for the betterment of health outcomes of patients and their families," Dr. Chung said. "Moreover, the award reflects Montefiore's support and commitment to treating the whole person, especially in this time of health reform."

Dr. Chung was a charter faculty member of the first national collaborative care for depression effort, which resulted in the adoption of depression care quality measures in federally qualified health centers. He also helped lead the national adoption of the PHQ9 scale for depression used in clinical practice. Dr. Chung has developed and implemented collaborative care models to treat patients in a variety of settings including college campuses, private physician practices and community mental health centers. At Montefiore, Dr. Chung successfully implemented a collaborative care treatment and centralized care management pilot for the medical center's ambulatory care system to improve depression and at-risk drinking care among patients with chronic medical illnesses. The pilot resulted in improvements in patients' overall health and was recently expanded to a small group of Montefiore's ACO community physicians.

"It has been so gratifying to have the opportunity to work with and learn from so many people and organizations over the years that have supported, adopted and promoted these efforts," Dr. Chung said. "Together we are making real differences in patients' lives and I am proud to be connected to this important effort."

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