Oak Mountain Outdoor Healthcare (OMOHC) proposes The Value-Based Outdoor Healthcare (VBOHC) Model Test for Depression and Metabolic Health Integrative Health Intensive Outpatient Pilot Study.
This is an innovative environment-based care model designed to improve outcomes, reduce costs, and advance health-equity through structured, nature-based clinical interventions.
This demonstration pilot tests an environment-based, intensive outpatient program (IOP) that integrates mental health, metabolic care, and outdoor-based interventions.
VBOHC integrates CMS-recognized Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) structures with evidence-based outdoor, nature-rich treatment environments.
The model addresses chronic conditions driven by stress biology, autonomic dysregulation, metabolic disruption, behavioral health burden, and environmental adversity.
VBOHC is grounded in translational research demonstrating that environmental inputs-green/blue space exposure, movement, autonomic regulation-modulate physiological, psychological, and epigenetic pathways relevant to chronic disease.
Depression and metabolic disease (diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome) represent one of the most expensive and clinically complex comorbid clusters in the U.S. healthcare system. These conditions are:
Highly prevalent and increasing
Bi-directionally reinforcing
Disproportionately concentrated among low-income, rural, and historically marginalized populations
Poorly addressed by fragmented, siloed care models
Current delivery models largely treat depression and metabolic disease as separate clinical problems, despite shared biological, behavioral, and environmental pathways including chronic stress, inflammation, circadian disruption, and limited access to health-supportive environments.
This demonstration tests whether an environment-first, integrated IOP can:
Improve clinical depression outcomes
Improve metabolic risk markers
Reduce total cost of care and avoidable utilization
Advance health equity by addressing environmental and social drivers of illness
Generate actionable evidence to inform future benefit design and payment policy
The pilot is grounded in the evidence that depression and metabolic disorders (e.g., diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity) are bi-directionally linked through shared pathways: chronic stress, inflammation, HPA-axis dysregulation, and health behaviors.
An environment-first, epigenetic lens positions outdoor exposure, movement, nutrition, and social connection as core levers in shifting those pathways.
By improving self regulation, reducing stress load, and restoring physiological balance through nature-based care, we support measurable improvements across both mental and physical health markers.
Better environments. Better self regulation. Better health outcomes.