Henry Ford behavioral health pilot sees up to 85% drop in work queues after 1 year

Chaotic best describes typical healthcare follow-up, where the expectations of patient, urgent care, office referred to, and covering health plan may be on completely separate pages. 

When local health facilities, clinicians, and ancillary resources talk, good things happen. Respect is essential. Being owned by the same mother ship is not.

Big Health defines continuity of care as "a patient receiving consistent and coordinated medical attention throughout their healthcare journey, ensuring that all healthcare providers work together to support the patient's needs. This approach helps improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction by providing a seamless experience across different stages of care."

https://www.beckersbehavioralhealth.com/care-coordination/henry-ford-behavioral-health-pilot-sees-up-to-85-drop-in-work-queues-after-1-year/

Henry Ford behavioral health pilot sees up to 85% drop in work queues after 1 year

Ella Ruder    |    August 11, 2026

Detroit-based Henry Ford Health’s Same-Day Solutions Ambulatory Pilot Program increased the number of patients who completed a behavioral health appointment after being referred for care by 50% at pilot sites.

The program, launched in July 2025, connects patients who express mental health concerns during a primary care visit with a licensed behavioral health provider for an assessment and guidance to the appropriate level of care, according to an Aug. 10 news release from the system.

One year after its launch, the program is deployed in 14 Henry Ford Health primary care clinics across Metro Detroit. Behavioral health referrals increased by 22% over the last year, while the number of patients waiting to be scheduled declined across Henry Ford Health’s behavioral health services by up to 85%. Referrals to specialty services that were not the right fit declined by 76%.

“Instead of asking patients to fit themselves into a particular service, Same-Day Solutions allows us to understand what they need first and build the path from there. That is what a more responsive behavioral health system should look like,” Michael Burton, director of Behavioral Health Integration at Henry Ford Health, said in the release.

Communication, communication, communication.