The Collaborative for Behavioral Health is a partnership between Corewell Health and Pine Rest Mental Christian Health Services. Corewell Health is Michigan’s largest healthcare system and Pine Rest is the third-largest freestanding behavioral health provider in the country.
In a statement this week, Pine Rest said the partnership is a commitment to intentionally and regularly identify behavioral health issues affecting the community.
Both health providers will remain independent, but will dedicate resources to address issues surrounding wait times for care, the overall cost of behavioral health care and barriers in access to pediatric-behavioral health services – a crisis Pine Rest said has been exacerbated since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Mark Eastburg, president and CEO of Pine Rest, called the partnership a natural pairing, noting that both Corewell Health and Pine Rest are are nonprofit owned by the community, saying as such they share a responsibility to care for Michiganders.
“Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services and Corewell Health do not just serve this community; we are a part of it. West Michigan is our home,” stated Dr. Eastburg. “We have shared goals, values, and an understanding of the barriers to care our community members face because we, too, face the same challenges. Our organizations set out to create a healthier, thriving West Michigan because we care about our neighbors, family, and friends who are the heart of this community.”
Both organizations said in addition to identifying opportunities for partnership, the Collaborative for Behavioral Health will also seek to leverage technologies to work more closely with other area healthcare providers.
“The Collaborative for Behavioral Health is founded upon the shared belief that we are in a new era of healthcare – one that recognizes we can only solve our community’s largest healthcare challenges through collaboration and innovation," Dr. Darryl Elmouchi, president, Corewell Health in West Michigan said. "Corewell Health and Pine Rest providers often work together in caring for the same patients. This collaborative is a formal statement of our shared goals and our vision to intentionally partner wherever possible to benefit the entire community.”
