COLLABORATION

PRIMARY CARE PSYCHOLOGY
BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE AND PRIMARY CARE PSYCHOLOGY

At the Fitchburg Family Medicine Residency, we have been at the forefront of the movement
toward teaching and delivery of and integrated primary care model of patient care. Our faculty
psychologist, Nicholas H. Apostoleris, Ph.D., works at the Fitchburg Family Medicine clinic
providing individual, adult, child and family therapy services for residency patients and
providing ongoing consultation with faculty physicians, residents, and nurses regarding various
aspects of patient care including, assessment, doctor-patient interactions, and appropriate
referrals to community specialty mental health providers.

At Fitchburg Family Medicine Residency, the level of integration of clinical
psychology/behavioral science into the medical practice is quite advanced and has been the
subject of several recent regional and national conference presentations and publications. The
faculty psychologist and the post-doctoral fellows are available each session for curbside
consultation. Two-way mirror behavioral science precepting is also available. By having the
behavioral science staff on-site, difficulties accessing mental health care are greatly reduced.
Dr. Apostoleris teaches a monthly Research/Clinical Psychology seminar and assists residents
preparing for Journal Club and other presentations. Other activities include close coordination
with the Residency's HIV Care team with several community groups and agencies.

At Fitchburg Family Medicine Residency is a training site not only for family physicians, but
also for Primary Care Psychologists. Since 1999, Fitchburg Family Medicine has been the
home site for an innovative post-doctoral fellowship which has brought psycholgists-in-training
into the medical setting where they can both learn from the medical staff as well as share their
perspectives with medical personnel.

For more information regarding Behavioral Science and Primary Care Psychology at the
Fitchburg Family Medicine Residency Program, you are encouraged to
contact Dr. Apostoleris via email.

ORAL HEALTH

At Fitchburg Family Medicine Residency, we are the medical service for CHC Family Health
Center, a federally chartered community health center serving north central Massachusetts.
CHC has a new dental service which is the only provider of dental care for uninsured persons
in our area and is the major provider of dental care for Medicare patients in our area as well.
CHC Dental Service, led by Cynthia Stevens, DDS, owns state-of-the-art equipment and has
grown rapidly in the past year.

Residents and applicants with a particular interest in Oral Health are encouraged to contact
the Medical Director, Beth K. Mazyck, MD.