Application to this Grant-Funded IHC Track with Burrell may result in placement at a number of offices, with precise placement to be determined following the APPIC Match. These locations are in Springfield, MO. Monthly didactics with a focus on integrated care will also be provided.

CoxHealth

There are two intern positions at Family Medical Care Clinic in Springfield, MO. FMCC is a part of the CoxHealth System. CoxHealth is the only locally owned, not-for-profit health system based in Springfield. CoxHealth is the only Springfield hospital named for four consecutive years to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Regional Hospitals list and is recognized by CareChex, the medical quality rating division of Comparion, as among the top 10 percent U.S. hospitals for overall medical care in medical excellence and patient safety.

FMCC is a training clinic for medical residents. Interns will have the opportunity to work in an environment that is conducive for learning and trying new things. Interns are an integral part of the medical team. The intern is available for warm handoffs from the physicians and residents to immediately engage with and begin interventions with patients. Tele-health options are also available to increase behavioral health access. Treatment is primarily brief and problem focused, and covers a very broad range of diagnoses, from severe and persistent mental health diagnoses, to adjustment disorders. There are opportunities to provide crisis assessment, intervention and stabilization. The interns work with patients and families with both acute and chronic physical and mental health concerns. Interns work with patients on topics of weight management, issues around compliance with diabetes or other health regimens, pain management, improving sleep, reducing anxiety and depression, etc. Psychoeducation is provided to patients and/or their family when needed. The emphasis is not on merely practicing psychology within the same clinic as the medical providers, but in helping the team treat the whole person, addressing the behavioral interventions that can augment medical care to help improve treatment compliance and improve the quality of the patient’s life.

In addition to specialized didactic presentations, all interns will have access to Relias, an online training application, where there are a wide variety of clinical topics available, as well as a network of Behavioral Health Consultants for collaboration and consultation.

There are two internship positions designated for the Bothwell IHC track. Bothwell Regional Health Center operates an inpatient hospital as well as a range of primary care and specialty care outpatient clinics including family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, and women’s health. Three locations have been selected for integration; services at these sites are provided by two Bothwell IHC interns and one full-time behavioral health consultant. The staff BHC is a licensed psychologist and will be a primary supervisor for the interns. Sites include:

TLC Pediatrics. This is a stand-alone pediatric clinic in Sedalia. In rural pediatric clinics, BHCs truly provide a full spectrum of behavioral health care. Interns will partner with physicians to address health concerns (e.g. weight management, adjustment to chronic illness) but will also be called upon for treatment and diagnostic clarification for psychological concerns. This is accomplished through brief therapy and screening followed by referral to specialty care when indicated. The BHC is vital to this process which ensures that youth are being treated with the proper level of care.

Healing Arts Center. This clinic, located in Sedalia, has a large OB/GYN women’s health clinic as well as family practice, a walk-in clinic, psychiatry, and rotating specialty clinics. Primary placement would be split between women’s health and family practice though opportunities for consultations may come from any of the clinic service lines. This clinic will provide both breadth and depth of experience with integrated care.

Truman Lake Clinic. This is a designated rural health clinic located in Warsaw Missouri near Truman Lake. It is a full-service clinic that is home to family practice, walk-in clinic, imaging, a lab, and rotating specialty care (e.g., orthopedics, sleep medicine, women’s health). The staff BHC is located primarily in this clinic, but there may be opportunities for intern rotation at this location if desired.

In each of these clinics, interns/BHCs are fully embedded as full members of the treatment team alongside physicians, nurse practitioners, and allied health professionals. The interns are available for warm handoffs from the physicians and NP’s to immediately engage with and begin interventions with patients. Tele-health options are also available to increase behavioral health access. Treatment is primarily brief and problem focused, and covers a very broad range of diagnoses, from severe and persistent mental health diagnoses, to adjustment disorders. There are opportunities to provide crisis assessment, intervention and stabilization. The interns work with patients and families with both acute and chronic physical and mental health concerns. Interns work with adult patients on topics of weight management, issues around compliance with diabetes or other health regimens, pain management, improving sleep, etc. Interns also work with children and families on healthy eating, enuresis/encopresis, social skills, parenting, sleep issues, ADHD, depression and anxiety to name a few. Psychoeducation is provided to patients and/or their family when needed. The emphasis is not on merely practicing psychology within the same clinic as the medical providers, but in helping the team treat the whole person, addressing the behavioral interventions that can augment medical care to help improve treatment compliance and improve the quality of the patient’s life.

For more information about the Bothwell Regional Health Clinic, visit their website here.

There are three sites (CoxHealth, MSU Care Clinic, and Bothwell) and the Bothwell site has three different clinics that interns may rotate through. These experiences will vary by site/rotation and are included above in the site descriptions. Information below represents the maximum level of exposure interns will have to the given population/presenting problem.

Example supervised experiences (as listed by APPIC):

The patient population varies by site.

MSU Cares Clinic, Springfield:

MSU Care serves adult patients, ages 18-64, who have no health insurance, are not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare, and have a household income equal to or less than 150% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Patients reside in Springfield and in rural communities within the region. A substantial number of clinic patients are unhoused. Patient diversity is generally reflective of the diversity in the broader community in terms of racial and ethnic make-up, gender identify, and sexual orientation. English is the first language for the majority of patients; the second most common language is Spanish.

CoxHealth Family Medical Care Clinic:

FMCC is a family practice clinic that serves patients across the lifespan. Patients reside in Springfield and in rural communities within the region. Patient diversity is generally reflective of the diversity in the broader community in terms of racial and ethnic make-up, gender identify, and sexual orientation. English is the first language for the majority of patients; the second most common language is Spanish.

Bothwell Health Center:

Bothwell clinics are located in Sedalia and patients reside in Sedalia and other rural communities in the region. Patient diversity is generally reflective of the diversity in the broader community in terms of racial and ethnic make-up, gender identify, and sexual orientation. Patients are predominately white, non-Hispanic. However there are substantial Hispanic, Ukrainian, and Russian immigrant communities which include patients whose first language is Spanish, Ukrainian and Russian.

TLC Pediatrics serves children and adolescents. Interns rotating at the Healing Arts Center will see patients across the lifespan in family practice and women in the Women’s Clinic.

Dr. Kristen Thompson received her degree in clinical psychology in 2016 from Northern Illinois University, where she earned a special emphasis in child psychology and conducted research on interpersonal violence and mindfulness. She completed internship at the University of Michigan Mary A. Rackham Institute prior to specializing in pediatric psychology during a fellowship at Children’s Mercy Hospital, where she worked closely with medical providers in the hospital and in integrated specialty and primary care clinics, providing services to patients with chronic health conditions, traumatic injuries, and developmental and behavioral health disorders. Dr. Thompson joined Burrell Behavioral Health in 2017 and is currently the System Director of Pediatric Integration. She works with community partners to expand access to behavioral health care for children by pairing behavioral health services with the health care children are already receiving. Dr. Thompson is also the director of Burrell’s Youth Focus Clinic, which provides multidisciplinary care to children and adolescents with ADHD.

Springfield is the state’s third largest city. This location maintains a talented arts community dating back to the early 1900s, offering a symphony, a community theatre, an art museum, a ballet company, and a regional opera. Springfield is also home to the recently opened Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium which is the largest and most immersive fish and wildlife attraction in the world. Next door to it is the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, a popular attraction in the state of Missouri for fisherman and hunters alike.

Sedalia is a small city of about 20,000 but serves as a commercial hub for a nine-county area, serving more than 145,000 residents within a 45 mile radius. Sedalia boasts a low cost of living with homes in neighborhoods, apartment/condo complexes, and rural farmsteads.

 Travel/weather: Sedalia is centrally located in Missouri with easy access to anywhere in the state. It’s about an hour East of Kansas City, an hour West of Jefferson City and Columbia, and 2 hours North of Springfield.  The area has a typical Midwest climate where you’ll experience all four seasons including hot humid summers and an annual average of 14 inches of snow through the winter.

 Places to eat: Sedalia is famous for being the home of the Gooberburger –  a peanut butter topped hamburger, as well as a wide variety of dining options including barbeque, Mexican, Chinese, and American.

 Things to do: Sedalia is home to the Missouri State fairgrounds, which draws attractions year round, and is the birthplace of Ragtime music, with an international ragtime festival each year to honor the music’s heritage. Outdoor activities are at your doorstep, with the famous Katy Trail offering miles of access for biking, hiking, and exploring.