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Commonwealth Fund Summarizes Care Programs for Patients with Complex Needs The Commonwealth Fund has released a Quick Reference Guide to Promising Care Models for Patients with Complex Needs, which summarizes the target populations and key features of 28 care models for adults with complex needs, including behavioral health. This guide was updated this year using the original version of the Quick Reference Guide that was developed in December 2016, data from a survey that the Center for Health Care Strategies conducted for the Better Care Playbook’s State Map, and literature searches. The Commonwealth Fund included models that targeted adults with complex needs; provided at least one element of patient-centered care; and had strong, moderate, or promising evidence on at least one outcome related to quality, utilization, or cost. Massachusetts to Help Test New Addiction Treatment Rating System Massachusetts will participate in a new rating system developed to measure the quality of addiction treatment programs, the Associated Press reported earlier this week. Health officials for the commonwealth said the rating system will use data from insurance claims, provider surveys, and consumer-experience surveys. The information will be made public to those seeking addiction treatment, as well as to public and private payers, states, and referral sources. The national not-for-profit organization Shatterproof is developing the rating system. If successful, the pilot program will be launched nationwide. Pew Research Center Reports Teens See Anxiety, Depression Among Their Peers Seven in 10 teens today see anxiety and depression as major problems among their peers, says a new report from the Pew Research Center. Anxiety and depression top the list of problems teens see among their peers, ahead of bullying, drug addiction, alcohol, poverty, teen pregnancy, and gangs, according to the survey of U.S. teens between the ages of 13 and 17. The study also noted that mental health concerns cross income boundaries, while teen pregnancy is seen as a much bigger problems by teens in lower-income households. Stanford Study Finds Opioids Less Effective for Patients on SSRI Antidepressants Patients who take the most common form of antidepressant and are given the most widely prescribed opioid experience less pain relief, according to a study this month from the Stanford University School of Medicine. Researchers say the finding could help address the nation’s opioid crisis because poorly managed pain may lead to opioid misuse. The study noted that as many as 1 in 6 American takes antidepressants, mostly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Stanford’s research team found that SSRIs reduce the effectiveness of hydrocodone and codeine, which are often prescribed to patients who recently had surgery. “This research is part of our effort to find ways to combat the opioid epidemic,” Tina Hernandez-Boussard, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate professor of medicine, of biomedical data science, and of surgery at Stanford, said in a statement. “We’re very interested in identifying how we can reduce opioid exposure while still managing patients’ pain.” CMS Presents Podcast Series to Inform Broader Audience The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week presented CMS: Beyond the Policy, a new podcast series intended to provide important, timely information to a broad audience. Through its outreach and education, CMS learned from physicians that a podcast would be an effective way to present important and up-to-date information. The first episode in the series focuses on evaluation and management coding, and the agency will release new episodes in the coming months that highlight the agency’s new proposals, policies, and programs. HRSA Expects to Release Up to 10 percent of Nurse Corps Repayment Program Awards to Psychiatric Nurses In 2019 the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Nurse Corps Repayment Program expects to make up to 10 percent of loan repayment awards to psychiatric nurse practitioners, the skilled specialists helping to address the nation’s opioid crisis. The repayment program supports registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, and nurse faculty by paying up to 85 percent of their unpaid nursing education debt. In return, participants must serve for at least two years at a healthcare facility with a critical shortage of nurses, or, for nurse faculty, at an eligible school of nursing. HRSA will accept applications for its Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program through March 28. Click here for more information. Remember to Register for the 2019 NABH Annual Meeting! Please register today for the 2019 NABH Annual Meeting if you haven’t yet! For complete Annual Meeting details, including preliminary program and speaker information, please visit NABH’s Annual Meeting homepage. For questions or comments about CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.