evolvedMD, a leading behavioral health integration provider, and HonorHealth, one of Arizona’s largest healthcare systems, released a comprehensive five-year case study detailing the successful scaling of the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) across HonorHealth’s Medical Group primary care network. The case study, which spans from an initial four-location pilot in 2020 to full systemwide adoption across all 32 Medical Group primary care locations in 2025, offers a detailed account of what it takes to integrate behavioral health at scale in a large, multi-site health system.

When HonorHealth began its behavioral health investment journey in 2019, Arizona was facing a significant mental health crisis: over 1.3 million adults had a mental health condition and more than 368,000 reported needing treatment but not receiving it. With primary care serving as the de facto front door to mental health care, HonorHealth recognized the urgent need for a sustainable, integrated solution.

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The case study documents results across adoption, clinical outcomes, workforce, and financial impact:

  • 100% CoCM adoption across all 32 HonorHealth Medical Group primary care locations
  • 64.29% PHQ-9 remission/response rate among 1,093 severe depression patients
  • 63.27% GAD-7 remission/response rate among 2,807 severe anxiety patients
  • Up to 15% risk-adjusted total cost of care savings

“The timeliness and quality of care we’re able to deliver to our patients centered around behavioral health is possible because of the relationship between HonorHealth and evolvedMD. Through the Collaborative Care model, patients receive timely support within a familiar setting, reducing delays in treatment while ultimately improving outcomes,” said Jared Berkowitz, MD, Chief Medical Officer (Primary Care), HonorHealth.

The case study outlines eight deliberate implementation steps that enabled HonorHealth to scale without sacrificing quality within existing primary care teams. Each evolvedMD Behavioral Health Manager served 90-100 active patients, while primary care providers averaged 10-11 active behavioral health patients per clinician – a workload designed to support rather than strain.

The partnership also relieved HonorHealth of the burden of recruiting, training and managing a specialized behavioral health workforce – a common barrier that prevents many health systems from scaling CoCM beyond initial pilots.

“The HonorHealth relationship with evolvedMD demonstrates that Collaborative Care doesn’t have to be a pilot program that stalls at a handful of locations. With the right infrastructure, the right people, and a commitment to measurement-based care, systems can achieve full adoption, real clinical outcomes, and meaningful financial returns. This case study is a roadmap for any health system serious about solving the behavioral health access crisis.” said Erik Osland, CEO, evolvedMD

Full case study is available now. Health system leaders interested in learning more about implementing or scaling Collaborative Care are encouraged to contact evolvedMD directly.

The results described in this release reflect the parties’ experience under the Collaborative Care Model and are not intended to constitute an endorsement or recommendation by HonorHealth of any particular vendor, product, or service.