The title on Dan Quinn’s business card speaks volumes not only about his new role, but also about changing attitudes and new and powerful forces within the broad realm of healthcare.

By and large, ‘vice president of Health Care Integration’ is a title you probably wouldn’t have seen 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago, in most settings. But you do today, and that’s because, while it has always been a goal to coordinate and integrate care offered by various providers, the motivation to do so has never been greater.

Indeed, as the costs of healthcare rise and awareness increases about the so-called social determinants of health and their impact on the overall health and well-being of not only individuals and families but entire communities, the importance of integration has become increasingly apparent. And individual states are becoming proactive in efforts to better coordinate care provided to individuals, improve communication between those providing that care, and reduce, among other things, expensive visits to the emergency room.

Which … brings us back to Quinn’s business card and the rest of the words printed on it. He takes on the role of vice president of Health Care Integration for a new entity called Innovative Care Partners, LLC (ICP). This is a partnership between three area providers: the Center for Human Development (CHD), the Gandara Mental Health Center, and ServiceNet Inc., and it will link primary care, behavioral-health services, and social determinants of health such as poverty, inadequate housing, and poor diet.

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