Marlene Bergman worked as a midwife for many years before she transitioned to psychiatry/mental health. She started out working in addiction medicine and then transitioned to women’s mental health. She worked with a variety of people who identify as female with many different mental health disorders from the ages of 15 to 92.
Marlene’s interest in collaborative/integrated care began when she was working as a midwife. She desperately wanted Collaborative Care when patients needed to transfer to a higher level of care than she could provide. The transition was not always easy for them, and she felt that if we were able to work collaboratively then the transition would be a lot easier not only for the patient, but also for the doctor. Now that she is a provider, she feels collaboration between mental health and internal medicine can help us to provide even better person-centered care than individually.
Her participation in this program will help to develop better communication and skills for all to feel more comfortable working together, sharing ideas and providing better care.
She would like to see Collaborative Care/integrated care in all UW clinics. More providers working together and using their specialties to encompass the whole patient, not just certain parts of them at a time.