A clinic in central Illinois is working to provide better basic health care for people who suffer from mental illnesses.
The Integrated Wellness Clinic in Springfield is operated by the Memorial Behavioral Health in partnership with Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.
The president of Memorial Behavioral Health, Jan Gambach, says the clinic is aiming to help its patients live longer, healthier lives and save on health care costs.
Mark Moranville is the health care integration project manager for Memorial Behavioral Health. He says people who suffer mental illness on average die 25 years sooner than people without mental illness, because of chronic non-mental illnesses that go undetected or untreated for years.
The clinic has treated nearly 700 patients since opening last year.
