US-based clinical practice network TeamHealth has partnered with Array Behavioral Care to integrate its on-site emergency expertise with Array’s virtual psychiatrists.
The partnership aims to 'reshape' the delivery of behavioural health treatment in emergency departments.
As more adults and children are admitted to emergency departments due to mental health issues, healthcare facilities are experiencing strain.
Many acute care hospitals do not have dedicated psychiatric resources, including on-site psychiatrists or inpatient psychiatric units.
Community-based mental health services also frequently face constraints in their available resources.
TeamHealth chief medical officer Dr Jody Crane said: “The growing demand and lack of access to definitive emergency behavioural care is a concerning trend in our emergency departments across the nation.
“Together, TeamHealth and Array are providing hospitals, clinicians, and communities with behavioural care in the emergency department to immediately start the patient’s journey to wellness, avoiding long stays that potentially further complicate the patient’s road to recovery.”
TeamHealth and Array Behavioral Care aim to enhance patient outcomes and experiences by broadening the availability of specialised psychiatric care.
The partners will work to support patients in receiving timely treatment and offer emergency clinicians access to licensed virtual psychiatrists for expert consultations and crisis stabilisation.
They also intend to improve hospital operations via enhanced psychiatric assessments, medication management and disposition planning.
Array Behavioral Care chief medical officer Dr Sara Gotheridge said: “By joining forces, we greatly expand treatment capabilities while channelling patients toward the most appropriate care tailored to their specific symptoms.
“This partnership creates a scalable solution for common emergency department challenges and connects patients with long-term treatment that can change their lives for the better.”
In June last year, Array Behavioral Care partnered with nonprofit organisation Common Ground to improve crisis care services in Michigan, US, via telepsychiatry.
