Combined Co-Director Dr. David Folsom Goes to Hong Kong!

While it's no Kentucky (see Dr. Searles' recent activity), Combined Co-Director Dr. David Folsom will be going to Hong Kong at the end of October to train primary care doctors and psychiatrists on the IMPACT model for treating depression in primary care. This model is the best studied and most widely disseminated model for improving depression outcomes for patients treated in primary care. There are several key elements to this model: It uses the PHQ9 to monitor depression symptoms; a depression care manager meets with the patient weekly and provides brief psychotherapy, education and keeps tabs on antidepressant treatment; there is a consulting psychiatrist who reviews all of the patients in the program with the depression care manager weekly; and a registry of patients being treated for depression and their response to treatment is used to track patients who are not responding and those who have dropped out.  If you happen to be In Hong Kong, drop by and check him out..  Or, become a combined resident and save the air fare!

Combined Co-Director Dr. Chris Searles Goes to Kentucky!

Dr. Chris Searles will be presenting a workshop along with colleagues from UC, San Diego and the University of San Diego on collaborative care and the integration of mental health and primary care.  The workshop is part of the annual conference of the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association held this year in beautiful Louisville, Kentucky.  If you have a hankering to sit in on the workshop, stop on by!

"Orientation to Collaborative Care for Physicians: Teaching Doctors to Collaborate on Behavioral Issues in Practice "

• R. Christopher Searles, MD, FAAFP, Associate Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Psychiatry University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
• Gene "Rusty" Kallenberg, MD, Chief, Division of Family Medicine, University of California, San Diego
• JoEllen Patterson, PhD, Professor, Marital and Family Therapy, University of San Diego

This workshop is for doctors who have realized that many of their patients have emotional or behavioral needs they would like to address in an effective way.  This workshop will cover basic attitudes, sensitivities, knowledge and skills that are required to carry out this part of clinical primary care with greater quality and comfort.  Attendees will also learn how to reach out to behavioral colleagues in their community to establish collaborative professional relationships that can assist them in practice.

Combined Residents Get Busier: Census survey shows 100,000 more San Diegans have fallen into economic hardship

In San Diego we are certainly not immune to the economic hardship that the rest of the country is experiencing.  In our combined underserved clinics, both the shelter clinic and the mobile health clinic, we are certainly seeing plenty of patients with employer based health care who have since lost their jobs and are in increasing jeopardy as they run out of their often life saving medicine regimens.  Beyond this - it is increasingly common to find folks presenting to community clinics for the first time who are suffering under the weight of not just the physical illnesses, but often undiagnosed mental illness as well...

Learn more about the state of things here.

Webinar Training for Local Primary Care Docs Presented by Combined Doc Dr. Ryan Shackelford

The Combined Program is very proud to have our own Dr. Shackelford present to the San Diego Council of Community Clinics tomorrow!  He kicks of a seminar series designed to teach primary care doctors about the diagnosis and treatment various psychiatric disorders.  The series is new and it is a testament to the combined skills of Dr. Shackelford that he has been asked to present in this live online webinar to the primary care physician community at large!  To learn more about the webinar or to sign up...

Download the flyer!

San Diego City Council Moves to Establish Downtown Homeless Center

As we struggle to put housing first for our neighbors in need, the city of San Diego has been working toward a solution.  While we have always integrated physical health, mental health, housing, and the basic necessities under one room..  the city is now pushing an initiative forward as well.  Learn more about this initiative here...