Frontier Psychiatry, a telepsychiatry provider based in Bozeman, Montana, has partnered with CrossTx, a referral management solutions provider, to improve behavioral health access and care coordination in one of the most underserved regions of the United States. The collaboration aims to make psychiatric care accessible to all residents of Montana by 2025, a critical goal given that the state consistently ranks among the highest in suicide rates nationally.
Founded in 2019, Frontier Psychiatry operates as an all-virtual psychiatric practice focused on Montana, working closely with local healthcare providers to improve access to mental health services, especially in rural and isolated communities. Psychiatrist Eric Arzubi, a founding partner of Frontier Psychiatry, explains that Montana’s limited access to mental health specialists forces primary care providers and hospitals to handle patients with moderate to severe psychiatric disorders, a responsibility they are often not fully equipped to manage. Frontier Psychiatry bridges this gap by offering telehealth services and collaborating with a wide network of healthcare organizations across the state.
Improving Referral and Care Coordination
Prior to the partnership with CrossTx, Frontier Psychiatry faced challenges in managing patient referrals efficiently. Referrals arrived through a variety of inconsistent channels, including snail mail, fax, and email, leading to delays in care and additional administrative burdens for Frontier Psychiatry staff. “Typically when we would get referrals for patients, it happened in all kinds of weird ways,” Arzubi said. “Given the technology that exists, it’s terrible what health care is still doing to try to communicate around patients.”
Recognizing the need for a streamlined solution, Arzubi reached out via LinkedIn for recommendations on systems that could improve care coordination and the referral process. That inquiry led to the discovery of CrossTx, a platform that enables providers to communicate electronically and in real time about patients. The platform allows for secure messaging and document sharing, ensuring that information moves quickly between providers and behavioral health specialists.
Chad Nybo, CEO of CrossTx, described the platform as being structured similarly to a social network. Providers from different organizations can join the platform, connect with professionals within their network, and exchange information efficiently. Unlike traditional Health Information Exchanges (HIEs), which are static and primarily store data, CrossTx allows providers to actively use information to deliver timely care. “HIEs tend to be static and store data, where CrossTx allows us to use this data, … and actually act in service of the patient,” Arzubi explained.
Immediate Impact on Patient Care
Integrating Frontier Psychiatry’s network with CrossTx has significantly accelerated patient access to psychiatric care. Instead of waiting days or even weeks for referrals to be processed, healthcare providers can now connect with Frontier Psychiatry specialists immediately. This immediacy is particularly important in emergency situations. For instance, a patient experiencing a mental health crisis in the emergency department can receive support from a telepsychiatry provider without delay, rather than being scheduled for a follow-up appointment days later.
Arzubi emphasized that the platform’s adoption among providers has been smooth and cooperative. “The way I’m talking about this is, ‘If you want us to provide [our] solution, you need to use CrossTx,’” he said. “This is a must-have because I don’t want to chase faxes. I don’t want to chase emails.” Providers within Frontier Psychiatry’s network, many of whom are small critical access hospitals in desperate need of psychiatric support, have embraced the platform as it allows them to better serve their patients while reducing administrative burdens.
Financial and Operational Benefits
Beyond improving access and efficiency, the partnership also offers financial advantages. Behavioral health integration facilitated through CrossTx can increase Medicare billing eligibility for participating hospitals. Nybo explained that documenting coordination time and connecting patients with qualified behavioral health specialists unlocks additional revenue opportunities. This financial incentive helps offset the costs of adopting the platform, which otherwise requires a subscription fee.
Furthermore, the integrated approach fosters a more collaborative healthcare environment. By connecting primary care providers, hospitals, and telepsychiatry specialists through a single platform, CrossTx reduces fragmentation in care delivery and ensures that patients receive consistent, coordinated support. This model is particularly valuable in rural and underserved areas where provider shortages and geographic isolation can limit timely access to mental health services.
Addressing Montana’s Behavioral Health Crisis
Montana faces one of the highest suicide rates in the nation, nearly double the national average. Limited access to mental health providers has long exacerbated this crisis, forcing primary care clinics and hospitals to manage cases beyond their usual scope. Frontier Psychiatry’s partnership with CrossTx addresses this gap by making behavioral health resources more readily available to both patients and the providers who support them.
Arzubi noted that the ultimate goal of this initiative is to expand psychiatric care availability statewide by 2025. This requires not only technological solutions like CrossTx but also ongoing collaboration with a broad network of healthcare organizations. By streamlining the referral process and enhancing care coordination, Frontier Psychiatry is laying the foundation for a sustainable, integrated behavioral health system that can better meet Montana’s critical needs.
Leveraging Technology for Scalable Behavioral Health
The collaboration between Frontier Psychiatry and CrossTx illustrates the potential of technology to transform behavioral health care delivery. Telepsychiatry, combined with real-time referral management and care coordination, enables providers to extend their reach and manage patient care more effectively. This integrated approach addresses both clinical and operational challenges, improving outcomes for patients while supporting providers in delivering high-quality care.
As healthcare systems increasingly turn to digital solutions, partnerships like this one demonstrate the importance of innovation in behavioral health. By embracing platforms that facilitate communication, streamline referrals, and enhance coordination, providers can reduce delays in care, improve patient experiences, and optimize resource utilization. For rural and underserved communities, such innovations are particularly impactful.
A Model for Nationwide Expansion
While this partnership is currently focused on Montana, it offers a replicable model for other regions facing similar challenges. The combination of telepsychiatry and integrated referral management can help healthcare organizations across the country overcome barriers to access and improve the delivery of mental health services. As behavioral health needs continue to rise nationally, such collaborative, technology-driven approaches will become increasingly essential.
Frontier Psychiatry and CrossTx have set a precedent for how tele-behavioral health providers can leverage partnerships to enhance patient care. By connecting providers, optimizing referral processes, and integrating care delivery, they are creating a system that prioritizes patient outcomes while supporting provider efficiency and sustainability.
Conclusion
The partnership between Frontier Psychiatry and CrossTx represents a significant advancement in tele-behavioral health care. By addressing referral inefficiencies, improving care coordination, and leveraging technology, the collaboration enhances access to psychiatric services for Montana residents, particularly in underserved rural areas. The initiative not only has immediate clinical and operational benefits but also sets the stage for a scalable model that could be applied nationwide.
As behavioral health demands continue to grow, innovative solutions like this will be critical to meeting patient needs and ensuring that care is timely, coordinated, and effective. Through technology, collaboration, and a focus on integrated care, Frontier Psychiatry and CrossTx are helping to create a future where mental health services are accessible to all, even in the most remote regions.
