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Improving outcomes and reducing costs for individuals with frequent acute episodes of care is a high priority for community behavioral health systems and managed care organizations. This column illustrates the application of interdisciplinary, interagency teamwork-with clinical leadership by the system psychiatric medical director-to a county-level quality improvement team process, a change that resulted in significant improvements in outcomes and costs over a 7-year period.

Case Management/organization & administration , Cost Control/methods , Interdisciplinary Communication , Patient Care Team , Quality Improvement , Anorexia Nervosa/therapy , Case Management/economics , Child , Child Behavior Disorders/therapy , Cost Control/organization & administration , Female , Humans , Male , Mental Disorders/therapy , Needs Assessment/economics , Needs Assessment/organization & administration , Patient Care Team/economics , Patient Care Team/organization & administration , Quality Improvement/organization & administration , Treatment Outcome , Young Adult

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