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Integrated Primary Care Services

Sage Neuroscience Center Primary Care

Integrated care is the coordinated coordination of primary care and behavioral health management. It combines behavioral health needs, substance abuse issues, and physical health under one roof, with multiple clinicians in close contact with each other, all accessing the same set of medical information.

Being able to provide truly integrated care has been a dream for Sage since its founding. Our primary care office section of Sage opened June 3, 2016.

Our Primary Care Services are:

  • For the whole family, we help patients of all ages.
  • Covered by most major insurance plans.
  • Walk-in hours for established patients to test INR levels, UTIs, strep throat and blood pressure checks Monday through Thursday.
  • Integrated with our behavioral health providers for a comprehensive care plan for each of our patients.
Comprehensive treatment that addresses all aspects of your health- body and mind.

Integrated Primary Care Services

In our fast-paced modern society, many people choose to skip their annual physicals at the doctor’s office. The assumption is that if something was wrong with their health, they would be experiencing serious symptoms. However, there are plenty of conditions that can remain hidden for long periods of time, growing worse and worse until it may be too late to treat them. That’s why it’s extremely important to receive primary care services.

What Do Primary Care Services Include?

Primary care services refer to non-emergency, general healthcare services given to you by a healthcare provider. In addition to administering preventative care, this provider should generally be your first point of contact any time you experience unusual symptoms, given that they have the most familiarity with your medical background. This allows them to make a more accurate diagnosis and refer you to the appropriate specialist when necessary.

Common reasons people visit their primary care physician include:

  • Routine visits, including checkups, vaccinations, and chronic illness management
  • Unusual pain, such as joint pain, chest pain, or difficulty breathing
  • Symptoms of disease or infection, such as nausea, vomiting, or fever
  • Strange observations, such as discoloration of the skin or a sudden rash
  • Mental health issues

Unfortunately, the last of those is often overlooked. Despite the amount of progress made in mental health awareness over the last several years, there is still a stigma attached to mental health issues. Primary care physicians aren’t always familiar with mental health needs and may disregard the relationship between a physical symptom and a mental health issue.

At Sage Neuroscience Center, we aim to fight the mental health stigma by offering a unique form of primary care known as integrated care, allowing us to better respond to our patient’s needs. Integrated primary care includes support for our patients’ behavioral health needs, which includes an examination of both physical and mental impacts.

What Is Integrated Primary Care?

Integrated primary care refers to a coordinated approach in regards to your health. This means we combine primary care services with behavioral health management. Instead of simply examining your physical symptoms, we assess behavioral outcomes, dependency issues, and physical well-being – all in one place. To achieve this, our clinicians of various different specialties work in close contact with each other. Your medical chart is accessible by each member of the care team, ensuring that all the details about your current symptoms and treatment plan are up to date and everyone in your care circle is familiar with your health status. Collaboration is key!

From the moment Sage Neuroscience Center was first founded, providing integrated primary care services has been our goal. On June 3, 2016, that goal finally became a reality. The new department is led by certified Physician’s Assistant Heather Drager, who had a previous background of behavioral health medication management and primary care services.

We are also proud to have Dr. Lynn Bryant, Internal Medicine Physician, on our team, as she contributes decades of experience in primary care and preventative services dealing with various acute and chronic illnesses. Our newest addition to our primary care circle is Dr. Tim Grenemyer who will take over as the Clinical Director for primary care and our detox unit. Having Dr. Grenemyer on the team allows us to begin seeing kids as well as adults, whereas previously we could only see patients over the age of 18.

Benefits of Integrated Primary Care Services

Because it is such a unique practice, integrated primary care services offer a number of advantages over traditional primary care. Instead of constantly being referred out to get assistance with your various health issues, we offer a team-based approach that effectively combines behavioral and general healthcare. In this way, we are able to treat the whole person, not just their physical symptoms.

More Accurate Diagnosis

When a patient visits their primary care physician for assistance with a physical ailment, the initial response is often to regard the issue as strictly physical. However, mental health illnesses often cause physical symptoms. By disregarding this possibility, your primary care physician may be denying you services that could help improve your situation. For example, anxiety and panic attacks can cause heart palpitations, excessive sweating, and an upset stomach.

Our clinicians are very knowledgeable about the relationships between physical and mental illnesses. As such, they know exactly what questions to ask to get a clear picture of your situation. This allows them to make a more accurate diagnosis, and if necessary, can arrange for you to receive therapy services as well.

Effective Communication

On occasion, traditional primary care physicians will diagnose a patient with some form of mental health illness and recommend some form of psychiatric care. However, they have no way of verifying whether the patient ever received that care, and if so, what sort of care they received.

With our integrated system, all of our clinicians are part of the same team. This ensures that every individual involved in your care is able to effectively communicate and remain fully informed on every aspect of your medical history at all times.

Coordinated Treatment Available

In some cases, you might discover that you have concurrent physical and mental health issues. For instance, a patient diagnosed with chronic diabetes may also experience depression. At Sage Neuroscience Center, we have the resources to address both issues. We’ll help you to monitor your insulin levels and check for any complications while developing a treatment plan for your depression at the same time.

Comprehensive Approach

Integrated primary care offers a comprehensive approach, unlike that of any other primary care practice. Regardless of the reason for your visit, you can ensure you will be treated by someone with full regard for your behavioral health – no more misdiagnoses or unnecessary stigma. Our team is fully prepared to listen to your concerns work together to help you navigate any symptom or illness you might encounter.

Primary Care Services at Sage Neuroscience Center in Albuquerque, NM

If you’re seeking a primary healthcare provider in New Mexico, look no further than Sage Neuroscience Center. At our integrated family primary care clinic, you will receive comprehensive, all-encompassing treatment that addresses all aspects of you and your family’s health. We provide a unique network of specialists that can help put the puzzle together and get you well on your way to leading a better life.

Our clinic offers walk-in hours Monday through Thursday for current patients in need of the following:

  • INR level testing
  • UTI testing
  • Strep throat testing
  • Blood pressure checks
For all other needs, please contact our office at (505) 884-1114 to set up an appointment.

If you would like to become a new patient at Sage Neuroscience Center, we are currently welcoming new clients to begin care at our primary care clinic, accepting:

  • BCBS
  • BCBS Senior
  • BCBS Centennial
  • All Presbyterian
  • All Molina Health plans
  • NM Health Connections

To initiate the process, you can complete our registration form here or give us a call. We look forward to serving you.

For more information about our services, contact us today at

(505) 884-1114
or get started with our new patient intake process here:
Get Started Today

Our mission at Sage Neuroscience Center is to provide integrated care that empowers those we serve to achieve sustainable wellbeing through our collaborative community of diverse and inclusive healthcare professionals.

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