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Forbes
25-06-2025
- Health
- Forbes
The Hidden Cost Of Fragmented Care—And Why Integrated Care Is The Cure
Dr. Michele Nealon, President of The Chicago School. In a healthcare system built on specialization, doctors often treat patients like a collection of symptoms rather than as whole people. A cardiologist manages blood pressure. A therapist addresses stress and anxiety. A physical therapist focuses on mobility. But rarely do these professionals share notes to treat their patients, let alone invest in a shared approach to complete care. The decentralization of care isn't just challenging for patients to navigate—it can also lead to significant financial and health costs. When Systems Don't Talk, Patients Suffer Consider the millions of Americans living with both chronic physical illnesses and behavioral health conditions. These individuals face overlapping challenges: pain that intensifies depression, medication side effects that go unmonitored or mental health needs that make it harder to manage physical treatment plans. Without integrated care—where providers collaborate and patients receive whole-person, holistic support—gaps widen, conditions are likely to worsen and preventable complications continue to emerge. The Financial Toll Of Disconnection According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "ninety percent of the nation's $4.5 trillion in annual health care expenditures are for people with chronic and mental health conditions." Much of this spending isn't just the result of disease but disconnection. When care is fragmented, costs escalate as a result of unnecessary hospitalizations, redundant testing, missed diagnoses and missed and/or incomplete care plans. A 2020 study in JAMA Network Open further illustrates this point. Among Medicare beneficiaries, individuals with serious mental illness incurred nearly $5,000 more annually in spending on physical health services compared to those without behavioral health conditions. The reason is one I'm overly familiar with as a practitioner. Simply put, untreated or poorly managed mental health can magnify the cost and complexity of managing one's physical illness. For industry leaders, this is more than a clinical gap—it's a fundamental question of system design and impact. Integrated Care As A Cost Strategy When mental and physical health providers work together, the results can be transformative—for the patient, their families and for broader communities as well. An integrated care approach can lead to: • Lower healthcare costs • Fewer emergency room visits and hospital readmissions • Increased medication adherence and thus better health outcomes • Greater engagement and patient satisfaction in their care What's Getting In The Way Of Integrated Care? Despite its promise, integrated care faces persistent challenges, including the fact that electronic health records aren't designed to be shared seamlessly across medical systems, and training for aspiring healthcare professionals is often siloed, leaving little exposure to approaches that see the patient as a whole person. The good news is that these problems are solvable. Leaders across healthcare—including educators, medical providers, insurance and government—must align on a common goal: removing the structural and financial barriers that prevent collaboration. At the same time, we're beginning to see a new wave of institutions that are built from day one with an integrated approach in mind. Our own, The Chicago School, is one example, with our Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine recently receiving pre-accreditation from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. As other new medical schools invest in a commitment to whole-person, community-based care, they will be positioned to help shape the next generation of physicians who are trained not just in diagnosis, but in connection. A Path Forward I've long championed the belief that there is no health without mental health. This principle underscores the necessity of treating individuals holistically, recognizing the intricate interplay between mental and physical well-being. To advance integrated care, we must: • Foster collaborative training. Develop educational programs that prepare future healthcare professionals to work across disciplines, ensuring a unified approach to patient care. • Strengthen community partnerships. Engage with local organizations to create support systems that address both mental and physical health needs within communities. • Advocate for policy reform. Work toward healthcare policies that prioritize integrated care models, ensuring equitable access to comprehensive services for all individuals. • Leverage technology thoughtfully. Utilize technological advancements to facilitate seamless communication among healthcare providers, enhancing coordinated care efforts. • Expand integrated research opportunities. Invest in interdisciplinary research that explores the intersection of mental and physical health, identifies scalable integrated care models and builds a template for evidence-based approaches that support whole-person care. By embracing these strategies, we can move toward a healthcare system that truly supports the whole person. This work is not always easy—change rarely is. But we don't retreat from complexity. We burn forward with clarity, compassion and a shared commitment to doing better for every person, in every community. The future of healthcare isn't about doing more. It's about doing it differently—and doing it together. Forbes Nonprofit Council is an invitation-only organization for chief executives in successful nonprofit organizations. Do I qualify?
New York Post
13-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Food shoppers ditch big labels for the ‘plain box,' and experts say you should, too
Generic brands, sometimes referred to as 'private label' or 'store brands,' are increasingly popular today as shoppers face rising food prices in grocery stores. Some consumers believe these brands to be inferior, as the generic items usually cost less than their name-brand counterparts. As a result, they're avoiding such products. But experts say they've noticed a consumer shift toward generic brands as people save money by shopping for these generics. 'Don't assume that a fancy label means higher quality,' Sylvain Charlebois, a professor and researcher of food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University in Canada, told Fox News Digital. 'Sometimes the plain box is the better deal and the better product.' Kyndra Holley, author of the cookbook 'Simply Delicious,' told Fox News Digital that she uses store-brand ingredients in her cooking 'without hesitation.' 'It's less important than people think,' she said. 'While there are a few name brands I trust for consistency,' she added, 'I'm not generally loyal to labels.' 4 Generic brands, sometimes referred to as 'private label' or 'store brands,' are increasingly popular today as shoppers face rising food prices in grocery stores. phpetrunina14 – The food blogger, who lives near Seattle, focuses on budget-friendly grocery shopping advice in her new book and said she believes that preparing great food doesn't have to be 'complicated or expensive.' Where there may be some small nutritional differences between generic items and their name-brand counterparts, Holley said the 'differences are minimal.' 'Sometimes you'll see a little more sodium or sugar in one over the other, but they're usually comparable or sometimes even identical,' she said. 'If you know how to season well, balance flavors, and cook with intention, you can turn even the most humble pantry staples into a showstopper,' she said. 4 'Don't assume that a fancy label means higher quality,' Sylvain Charlebois, a professor at Dalhousie University, said. 'Sometimes the plain box is the better deal and the better product.' AntonioDiaz – Elizabeth Schwab, founding chair of the master of Arts Behavioral Economics program and chair of the business psychology program at The Chicago School, said she's noticed similar consumer behavior when it comes to shopping. 'Consumers seem to be embracing generic over name brand in many categories due to a variety of influences, both economic and social,' she told Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital reached out to the Private Label Manufacturers Association for comment. Product shortages during the pandemic encouraged many consumers to try other brands, such as generics, due to the limited availability of products at the time, according to Schwab. 4 'Consumers seem to be embracing generic over name brand in many categories due to a variety of influences, both economic and social,' Elizabeth Schwab, founding chair of the master of Arts Behavioral Economics program at The Chicago School, said. Gorodenkoff – 'This worked to expand consumers' awareness of the breadth of choices they had, and they discovered that generic, in certain categories, held little perceptible differences in quality,' she said. This is in line with what Charlebois has observed in the industry as well. 'People are more price sensitive than ever,' he said. Now, Charlebois said, price sensitivity doesn't have to come at the cost of quality. 'Some store brands today are virtually indistinguishable from national brands, especially for staples like pasta, canned goods, and dairy. In many cases, they're made by the same manufacturers.' 4 Some consumers believe these brands to be inferior, as the generic items usually cost less than their name-brand counterparts. Syda Productions – Holley shared a similar observation, noting that the quality of generic versions has 'improved dramatically.' 'Store brands today often rival – or even surpass – name brands in flavor and texture,' she said. 'You can find excellent generics for everything from pasta sauce to frozen veggies.' The cookbook author also praised the quality of generic pantry staples like flour, sugar, canned beans, dried pasta, and basic spices, saying that the store brand is 'often just as good.' She advised, 'Splurge on ingredients that really impact flavor, like good cheese, oils and vinegars, and butter, to name a few.'
