Hartford HealthCare sees 82% boost in anxiety scores with integrated care model

Becker’s Hospital Review – Monday, December 29, 2025
By Ella Ruder

With an overwhelmed workforce and a surge in mental health service demand, integration is becoming essential to address a consistent issue in behavioral health: access.

Ashley Shattuck, program manager for integrated care and primary care, Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare Medical Group, told Becker’s the system has implemented a collaborative care model that utilizes clinicians who patients already trust — primary care providers.

Hartford HealthCare has integrated 15 licensed clinical social workers who provide behavioral health services into over 40 primary care offices, with 12 offices and three care managers supporting the collaborative care model. A team of three — a psychiatric consultant, a care manager and a primary care provider — works with patients to manage behavioral health conditions in the primary care setting.

The model’s evolving registry of about 150 patients has seen a 78.29% positive change in PHQ-9 scores and an 82% positive change in GAD-7 scores, with average enrollment ranging from three to six months. In the past six months, 45 patients have graduated, Ms. Shattuck said.

Understanding how to achieve and track outcomes has been a focus for the system.

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