In mid-September, seven organizations came together to launch the Integral Health Network of Southern Arizona LLC (IHNSA), a clinically integrated network designed to transform the way behavioral health, primary care, and social services are delivered. The new entity is dedicated to improving outcomes for patients through a Value Based Behavioral Health Care model that emphasizes tight coordination across providers and addresses the social determinants of health that often stand in the way of recovery.
IHNSA was conceptualized and organized by Blaze Advisors, a population health management company based in Wilmington, North Carolina, in partnership with Phoenix-based Banner University Health Plans. Together, they identified opportunities to build a new kind of care model in Southern Arizona—one that not only integrates clinical services but also ties reimbursement to measurable improvements in patient outcomes.
Why Behavioral Health Needs a New Model
Behavioral health has historically been overshadowed in the broader health care system, often receiving less attention and fewer resources than physical health. This lack of integration has left many people struggling with untreated or poorly managed conditions. Jill Lineberger, senior vice president of network development at Blaze Advisors, emphasized the urgency of IHNSA’s mission. “Payers and communities are starting to recognize that behavioral health went unnoticed,” she told Behavioral Health Business. “We have a lot of silent sufferers out there.”
The pandemic further exposed the cracks in the system, underscoring how behavioral health is intertwined with physical health, economic stability, and community well-being. It also highlighted the uneven distribution of behavioral health providers, leaving many communities with limited access to essential care. IHNSA is stepping into this gap with a coordinated, technology-driven approach rooted in Value Based Behavioral Health Care principles, ensuring more equitable access and better outcomes.
Collaboration Across Five Member Organizations
While Blaze Advisors helped design the framework and provides the technology backbone, IHNSA is independently operated by five member organizations:
- CODAC Health, Recovery & Wellness
- Community Bridges Inc.
- Helping Ourselves Pursue Enrichment (HOPE) Inc.
- Horizon Health and Wellness
- La Frontera Arizona Inc.
Each organization brings its own strengths, but IHNSA is structured to ensure that patient needs drive collaboration rather than competition. Dennis Regnier, president and CEO of CODAC Health, described the collective approach: “Any one of us can do a thorough assessment [of patients]. But the reality is there may need to be services from two, three or more of these organizations to actually hit at what that individual needs and to create the positive, valued outcomes that we’re all aiming for.”
This cooperative structure demonstrates how Value Based Behavioral Health Care depends on partnerships across providers to achieve measurable improvements in health outcomes.
How the Value-Based Care Model Works
At the heart of IHNSA is a reimbursement structure designed to reward improved health outcomes rather than simply paying for the volume of services provided. Blaze Advisors and Banner University Health Plans collaborated to identify patient cohorts that historically have poor outcomes and drive high levels of health care spending. From there, they created incentive plans tailored to improving these outcomes.
Under IHNSA’s model, the network receives shared-savings reimbursements as quality improvements are demonstrated and cost efficiencies are realized. Individual providers continue to receive fee-for-service payments for direct care, but they also benefit from the collective incentives tied to improved patient outcomes. This hybrid approach reflects the broader goals of Value Based Behavioral Health Care—balancing current reimbursement systems with forward-looking strategies that reward quality.
Technology as the “Brain” of the Network
IHNSA relies on Blaze Advisors’ ONEcare model and its supporting technology stack, which includes a clinical intelligence engine and a digital referral system. The referral system ensures that patients are quickly and appropriately connected to the right provider, while the clinical intelligence engine processes data from across the network to identify care gaps, measure performance, and guide clinical and operational decisions.
Lineberger referred to the clinical intelligence engine as the “brain” of the system—one that allows IHNSA not only to respond to patient needs but also to anticipate where the network should focus its resources for the greatest impact. By leveraging population health data alongside real-time referrals, IHNSA is putting the data-driven foundation of Value Based Behavioral Health Care into practice.
Building on the ACO Legacy
IHNSA draws inspiration from the accountable care organization (ACO) model, which emerged in 2012 when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched its Shared Savings Program. Early ACOs were primarily concerned with physical health, incentivizing hospitals and doctors to coordinate care and reduce unnecessary costs.
IHNSA takes that same framework and applies it to behavioral health, substance use, and the broader social factors that shape health. “The whole concept of forming a clinically integrated network for behavioral health providers and individuals struggling with mental health, substance abuse, [and] social determinants of health is trying to bring whole communities into care,” Lineberger explained.
The timing is significant. As CMS prepares to roll out its ACO REACH program, which explicitly aims to integrate behavioral health into primary care settings from 2023 through 2026, networks like IHNSA are demonstrating how Value Based Behavioral Health Care principles can be adapted to community-level needs.
The Bigger Picture: Value Based Behavioral Health Care in Action
The launch of IHNSA is part of a broader trend of behavioral health providers moving toward value-based care. While this approach has been more common in physical health, the past several years have seen increasing recognition that mental health and substance use disorders demand the same level of integrated, outcome-focused care.
Startups and large organizations alike are leaning into this opportunity. For instance, Miami-based Brave Health recently secured $40 million to expand its value-based approach for Medicaid populations, underscoring the momentum in this space. The shift represents a larger recognition: without Value Based Behavioral Health Care, health care reform will remain incomplete.
Looking Ahead
As the Integral Health Network of Southern Arizona begins its work, it brings together technology, collaboration, and a forward-thinking reimbursement model to address one of the most pressing challenges in health care: providing effective, equitable behavioral health services. By uniting five leading organizations under a shared vision and equipping them with the tools and incentives to succeed, IHNSA is not only serving the Southern Arizona community but also setting a precedent for how Value Based Behavioral Health Care can reshape the future of treatment delivery.
If successful, IHNSA could serve as a model for other regions seeking to bridge the gap between behavioral health, primary care, and social services—demonstrating that coordinated, outcome-focused care truly benefits patients, providers, and payers alike.
