Banyan Research and Innovation Center
Banyan’s Research and Innovation Center (BRIC) is a division of Banyan Community Health Foundation. BRIC is uniquely positioned to conduct innovative, applied research to improve the health outcomes of medically underserved communities in South Florida, by drawing on Banyan’s 50+ years of experience in health information, integration of behavioral health and primary care, education, clinical, and population health and collaboration.
BRIC’s strategic initiative is to ensure that all South Floridians have access to quality primary care by combining knowledge and action for social change to improve community health and eliminate health inequities.
What We Do at BRIC
BRIC serves as a resource center for the study of social determinants integrating primary care and behavioral health to further improve health care delivery, quality of services and offerings.
Integration includes primary care and behavioral health clinicians working together with patients and families, using a collaborative, evidenced-based approach to provide patient-centered care.
BRIC’s initiatives address a team-based approach to chronic medical illnesses, mental health and substance abuse conditions.
Social Determinants to Care
For more than 50 years, Banyan has been committed to eliminating barriers to care for our most vulnerable communities. By identifying social determinants through research and integration, we address and work together to eliminate inequities in care in order to improve clinical outcomes and quality of life.
Social determinants of health for our patient population include:
- Lack of finances to afford healthcare
- Housing insecurity
- Lack of Employment
- Mental health and substance abuse stigma in families and communities
- Secondary underlying health issues (diabetes, hypertension, asthma, vascular disease, obesity)
- Lack of culturally competent mental health care providers to treat diverse communities
- Lack of care for people with multiple physical comorbidities and mental illness
- Lack of community support (stigma surrounding behavioral health)
- Language
- Geography/lack of transportation
- Fear of civil/immigration status interfering with access to care
- Food insecurity
- Educational gaps
- Language barriers
The BRIC Mission
Drawing on our legacy of expertise in the field of integration, BRIC seeks to build a centralized hub to provide the resources to address social determinants in community health, and to promote a collaborative environment for discussion and study among leaders across behavioral health, and primary healthcare fields.
BRIC is pioneering integrated health care research, the value of providing comprehensive care to a complex population, and how to respond appropriately to the medical, psychosocial, and environmental challenges.
To learn more about the research and positive changes taking place at the Banyan Research and Innovation Center, please contact us.
