Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare Announces Strategic New Hire

Cascadia’s Expansion of Integrated Health Services Draws Appointment of New Primary Care Officer

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

July 17, 2017 

 

PORTLAND, OR – Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare announced today that John Duke will be joining the organization on August 14 as the new Primary Care Officer to further develop and support Cascadia’s continued expansion of providing integrated health services across its 4 Portland-area clinics. John has a solid track record of 29 years delivering health services to our community’s most vulnerable members experiencing homelessness, trauma and poverty. For the last 20 years John has been a key player helping to grow Outside In, a Portland-based nonprofit providing health and social services for homeless youth. He most recently served as the nonprofit’s Clinic Director and helped establish Outside In as a Federally Qualified Health Center. John is also the current Board President of the Oregon Primary Care Association.

John is joining Cascadia at an integral time with the increasing national focus on expanding access to integrated health care to low-income populations; Cascadia’s recent federal designation as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Center to roll-out primary care services in our behavioral health clinics; and in advance of our spring 2018 opening of our new Garlington Health Center clinic.

“John’s tremendous industry knowledge in primary care services to low-income populations and his long-term collaborations and partnerships with Cascadia over the years makes him a key addition. His appointment in this new role underscores Cascadia’s commitment to improving access to primary care and health outcomes for our clients. We are very fortunate to find someone of John’s caliber to fulfill this critical new role,” stated Beth Epps, Chief Clinical Officer for Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare.

In 2012 John led Outside In through a federal funded partnership with Cascadia called Oregon Partnership for Health Integration. This partnership was part of a 4-year study to integrate primary care and wellness programs into the behavioral health care of 600 Cascadia clients. It was through this collaboration utilizing the mobile medical teams at Cascadia’s residential and outpatient facilities that John learned of the tremendous health disparities and system barriers faced by people experiencing severe mental health challenges.

In accepting the position, John shared, “The opportunity to support Cascadia’s strategic initiative to expand integrated health services is remarkable. I look forward to helping Cascadia build its primary care capacity to better serve clients; and am pleased to be joining such a dedicated team of community health professionals driven by the goal to improve the health for all Oregonians.”

 

ABOUT CASCADIA BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE:

Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare is a private, not-for-profit whose mission is to provide healing, homes and hope for people living with mental health and addiction challenges. For information on Cascadia’s comprehensive range of innovative clinical and housing support programs, visit: cascadiabhc.org.

As of April 1, 2017, Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC) as part of a national two-year demonstration project to measure the benefits of expanding the integration of mental, substance use and physical health care. Cascadia’s three CCBHC clinics in Portland will expand this federal designation of services and serve as models for an innovative approach to mental health that treats each patient holistically, leading to improved mental and physical health, lower catastrophic care costs, and reduced stigma surrounding mental health. This project places Oregon in the national spotlight for health care reform. Oregon was one of just eight states chosen to participate in the two-year program, and Cascadia’s three participating clinics are part of only 13 selected statewide.