The field of behavioral health is undergoing significant changes, with efforts to improve care, enhance accessibility, and address the growing demand for services. One key individual at the forefront of these changes is Erik Osland, the founder and CEO of evolvedMD, a company that has made waves in the integration of behavioral health into primary care settings. His journey into the world of behavioral health, his frustrations with the existing system, and his vision for the future provide valuable insight into how the industry can evolve. In this blog post, we’ll explore Erik Osland’s personal and professional journey, his vision for behavioral health integration, and the steps necessary to build a better future for behavioral health care.
Early Career and the Frustration That Led to Integration
Erik Osland’s career began in the physical health sector, working on the med-tech and device side of health care, where he spent a significant portion of his post-undergraduate years. This experience gave him deep insight into the intricacies of health care, but his entry into the behavioral health space came through personal circumstances that would profoundly shape his career.
Around a decade ago, Erik’s father became chronically ill with a range of complex health conditions. His father was on 17 medications and spent up to 18 hours a day sleeping, yet his most pressing issue at the time was not just physical illness—it was mental health. As his father’s condition worsened, it became clear that he was also suffering from severe depression and mental health challenges, which complicated his treatment and overall well-being.
Despite their best efforts to provide care, Erik and his family found themselves in a system that was not equipped to support their needs. His father was a Medicare beneficiary, and despite the resources at their disposal, they struggled to navigate the mental health system. This frustration would become a driving force behind Erik’s future career decisions. He began to see firsthand the barriers within the system, especially for those with a high level of need who were unable to access the services that could provide them with support.
Shifting Focus: Building a Business to Address Behavioral Health Gaps
The difficulties Erik’s family faced navigating the behavioral health system sparked his desire to address the brokenness of the system. The experience led him to rethink how health care could be more integrated, especially in terms of connecting physical and behavioral health. In 2017, he founded evolvedMD with a vision of bringing mental health care into primary care settings, eliminating the traditional barriers to access and stigma that often prevent individuals from seeking the help they need.
As someone who had worked on the “physical health” side of the spectrum, Erik understood the importance of integrating mental and physical health care. This realization, coupled with his personal experiences, guided his efforts to develop a more accessible and holistic approach to care. What began as a personal mission to improve mental health care for individuals like his father has evolved into a larger effort to revolutionize the behavioral health care system.
The Current Behavioral Health System: A Broken Model
In his work, Erik has identified several core issues with the current behavioral health system. One of the most pressing problems is that the system is designed more for “sick care” than for “health care.” Too often, behavioral health interventions are only implemented when a patient’s symptoms become severe or their condition has become highly complex. In other words, care is reactive rather than proactive.
Erik explains that the system today is primarily focused on managing patients with serious mental illness (SMI) or high-cost patients, which accounts for a significant portion of the resources allocated to behavioral health care. While these individuals obviously need care, Erik argues that the system should shift focus upstream—providing care and tools to manage mental health before symptoms worsen. If the health system were designed to focus more on prevention and early intervention, it could help reduce the overall demand for costly, reactive care.
The current model also highlights the fragmentation between physical and behavioral health. Mental health challenges often go unnoticed or untreated in primary care settings, simply because there is no infrastructure in place to identify and address them. According to Erik, the key to addressing this problem lies in integrating behavioral health care into primary care.
Integration: A Solution to the Behavioral Health Crisis
One of the most promising solutions Erik has championed is the integration of behavioral health services into primary care settings. The idea is simple: most patients already visit a primary care provider (PCP) regularly, so why not make behavioral health resources available in the same place? Studies show that around 30% to 40% of patients seen in primary care have an underlying mental health condition, but the majority of those patients do not receive appropriate care for it. In fact, less than 20% of patients referred to behavioral health providers by their PCPs actually follow through with that referral.
Erik and his team at evolvedMD are working to change that. By embedding behavioral health specialists in primary care practices, they aim to create a seamless experience for patients where mental health care is just as accessible as physical health care. For patients with lower acuity needs, this model provides same-day care, eliminating the logistical barriers that often prevent people from seeking help. By eliminating stigma, patients are more likely to access services and receive timely care, which could prevent their conditions from escalating.
This model not only benefits patients but also reduces the strain on PCPs, who are often overwhelmed with their patient panels and are ill-equipped to handle behavioral health needs. With the right resources in place, primary care providers can address mental health issues early, before they become more complex and harder to manage.
The Impact of Integration on Key Stakeholders
The primary stakeholders in the behavioral health space—patients, providers, payers, and health systems—are all impacted by the issues within the current system. Patients often face long waiting periods to access care, which can lead to worsened conditions and higher health care costs. Primary care providers, on the other hand, are overburdened and experience burnout due to the lack of resources to support their patients’ behavioral health needs. For payers and health systems, the focus on high-acuity patients creates inefficiencies that drive up costs without necessarily improving overall health outcomes.
If Erik could speak directly to these stakeholders, he would stress the importance of focusing on prevention and integration to improve the system. By providing resources to primary care providers and improving access to behavioral health services, the system can reduce burnout and improve patient outcomes. For payers, Erik emphasizes the importance of shifting reimbursement models to support integrated care, which has been shown to not only reduce overall costs but also increase patient satisfaction and reduce provider burnout.
The Future of Behavioral Health: Measuring Success and Expanding Access
Looking ahead, Erik is optimistic about the future of behavioral health. The model that evolvedMD has developed is gaining traction, and more primary care providers are realizing the value of integrating behavioral health services into their practices. However, he acknowledges that there is still much work to be done, especially at the policy and payer levels. A key priority for Erik and his team is advocating for expanded coverage for integrated care, especially through Medicaid and private insurance plans.
In particular, Erik points to the need for more states to adopt collaborative care models under Medicaid. While 30 states currently provide coverage for integrated care under Medicaid, that leaves many people without access to these services. Ensuring that integrated care becomes a widespread standard is critical to improving the system for both patients and providers.
Additionally, Erik stresses the importance of moving towards measurement-based care. Rather than assuming that a patient is improving simply because they’ve been in care for a certain period of time, the focus should be on using data and outcomes to guide treatment. By tying reimbursement rates to measurable improvements in patient outcomes, Erik believes that the behavioral health field can begin to shift towards a more sustainable, outcomes-driven model.
Conclusion: Embracing Change for a Better Future
In summary, Erik Osland’s journey into the behavioral health space has been shaped by both personal experiences and professional expertise. His vision for the future of behavioral health is one of integration—bringing mental health care into primary care settings to eliminate barriers, reduce stigma, and improve outcomes. While there are challenges ahead, the momentum toward integrated care is growing, and Erik is optimistic about the future of the field.
By focusing on upstream prevention, integrated care, and measurement-based outcomes, Erik believes that we can begin to address the pressing mental health crisis and build a more effective, accessible, and sustainable behavioral health system. The future of behavioral health is bright, and with leaders like Erik Osland at the helm, change is not only possible—it’s inevitable.
