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As InSight celebrates 20 years of providing telepsychiatry services, we look back at where the telemedicine industry has been and ahead in the direction of where the industry is going.

In 1879, Punch magazine envisioned the future of medicine with an Edison-esque dream machine, the telephonoscope. The idea being images, sounds and light could be transmitted in real-time to a remote audience. Even before the world was introduced to the first television, the idea of telemedicine was alive in the mind.

Flash forward almost 100 years later and AT&T has released its first video phone, NASA started delivering medical services via televideo to rural Native American reservations, and in 1999, Dr. James Varrell, Chief Medical Officer of InSight Telepsychiatry, committed the first patient via telepsychiatry.

Since its inception, InSight has been dedicated to transforming access to care and has been at the forefront of the latest telepsychiatry innovations.

Now, healthcare is moving into a new era. The industry has spent the last two decades collecting data and questioning what to do with it all. The vast array of electronic medical record systems have started to condense and align to standardize data across the spectrum of care. Interoperability has been the buzzword for years. The looming notions of Big Data and artificial intelligence have stepped from the shadows and into the spotlight. Additionally, while consumers have historically been shut out of their own care, the patient is quickly becoming King.

Scheduling an appointment with your therapist

Picture this reality:

You walk in the door at home and your smartwatch lights up. It’s suggesting you schedule an appointment with your therapist. Why?

You know you’ve had a series of pretty awful weeks – that giant project at work just fell through, you can’t remember the last time you hung out with your friends, and the scale in the bathroom is showing a number you’d rather not talk about. What you may not realize is that your watch and the voice controlled device in your living room know all of this too, and the data these devices have captured show you’ve reached a critical threshold (according to a universally-accepted algorithm) for depression.

When you ask the virtual assistant to add eggs to the grocery list, the inflections in your voice could be an indicator that your mental health is suffering. Your smartwatch hasn’t logged any exercise for a few weeks, another potential flag. Your calendar app shows you’ve been all work and no play. From your family history logged in your primary care clinician’s mobile app, your family has a history of depression, too. Based on the predictive models built through your data and millions of others’, an appointment with your therapist might help you get ahead of larger issues.

It’s a future that’s not far off from our reality. Groups like the Scripps Research Institute and IBM’s Watson are attempting to build these predictive models with Big Data collected through telemedicine and traditional care avenues. Prevention using these early indicators may not be cheaper yet, but it certainly can improve outcomes and increase provider efficiency. While behavioral health in particular faces a psychiatry shortage, our future lies in utilizing these new tools, this data, to drive better decision-making and better patient care.

Artificial intelligence can be applied to telepsychiatry to further increase access to mental and behavioral health services for those in need. This includes the use of voice assistants that could help to identify vocal inflexion or use commonly asked questions to determine if someone may be in need of mental health services. Additionally, chatbots can be used to educate individuals on various health concerns and general wellness, and help them keep up with their treatment plan. As we continue to treat the whole patient, gathering data from across both physical and mental health will be critical for anticipating health issues. Finally, while artificial intelligence will never replace healthcare providers, it can help to promote their productivity.

InSight’s roots extend much further than the last 20 years, and our thought leadership will have lasting impact into this new era. Initiatives like Inpathy, the first virtual group practice for behavioral health, has increased access to care for thousands of consumers to date. We are excited to continue to transform access to mental health care for years to come.

About InSight Telepsychiatry

InSight is the leading national telepsychiatry service provider organization with a mission to increase access to quality behavioral health care through innovative applications of technology.  InSight has over two decades of telepsychiatry experience and serves hundreds of organizations across the country with its on-demand, scheduled services and Inpathy divisions. InSight is uniquely positioned to offer scalable telepsychiatry services in settings across the continuum of care. InSight has a diverse team of psychiatry providers, a robust internal infrastructure and a history of adapting its programs to fit the needs of a variety of different settings and populations.  InSight has led the growth of the telepsychiatry industry and remains an industry thought leader and advocate.  To learn more about telepsychiatry and how it can benefit you or your organization, visit www.InSightTelepsychiatry.com.

Hershey, PA – The Institute for Learning & Behavioral Sciences, which provides comprehensive psychoeducational, learning, cognitive and psychological evaluations for children, adolescents and adults, and InSight Telepsychiatry are pleased to announce a new partnership to increase psychiatric coverage for individuals seeking mental health care in an outpatient setting.  This new telepsychiatry program is expected to launch in December, but scheduling is open now.

Telepsychiatry is the delivery of psychiatry through real time videoconferencing. It has been found to be an effective form of care delivery and a convenient, cost-effective way to safely expand psychiatric support without the challenge of staffing an in-person psychiatry provider.

Clint Stankiewicz, Psy.D, owner and executive director of the Institute for Learning & Behavioral Sciences, saw a need in the community for more access to psychiatric care. In addition to increasing access to care in the community, this program will offer psychiatric services to individuals who already receive mental health services at the Institute for Learning & Behavioral Sciences, if needed. This allows them to continue treatment at their current location as opposed to being referred to a different organization.

Institute for Learning & Behavioral Sciences Launches New Telepsychiatry Program in Hershey, Pennsylvania

Mental health is a top concern in Pennsylvania. There is a statewide average of 179 providers per 100,000 in population, which is below the national average of 214 to 100,000.[1] This comes out to one mental health provider per 600 individuals.[2] Of the approximately 12.9 million people living in Pennsylvania, 4% of adults live with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression with many more living with any mental illness such as depression or anxiety.[3] Only 35% of the state need for mental health services is met.[4]

In central Pennsylvania, where Hershey is located, people commonly wait six months for an appointment with a psychiatrist.[5]

“As a mental health provider working in an outpatient setting, I saw an unmet need for psychiatry services in the Hershey area. Implementing a telepsychiatry program will give more people access to psychiatric services and will allow individuals that I see to continue receiving services at this location,” said Dr. Stankiewicz.

“Telepsychiatry gives communities unprecedented access to mental health care specialists. We are pleased to partner with the Institute for Learning & Behavioral Science to offer this service.  Telepsychiatry is a great solution, not only in Pennsylvania, but also in many other states across the nation where there is significant mental health need and a shortage of psychiatry providers,” said Jonathan Posten, Senior Director of Operations.

Telepsychiatry services at The Institute for Learning & Behavioral Sciences are now available.

The holidays can be extremely hectic and people have to juggle the different demands of the season, which makes it easy to put mental health on the back burner. For some, the close of the holiday season brings a sense of relief, but for others, this brings on feelings of sadness and loneliness. Now that it is the start of a new year and a new decade, it’s the perfect time to prioritize your mental health. Schedule a telepsychiatry appointment at The Institute for Learning & Behavioral Sciences today.

About Institute for Learning & Behavioral Sciences

The Institute for Learning & Behavioral Sciences provides comprehensive psycho-education, learning, cognitive and psychological evaluations for children, adolescents & adults. Such evaluations can help determine an individual’s level of intellectual functioning, unique learning style, personality characteristics, academic achievement and social/emotional needs. They collaborate with the referral source, educational institution, parents/guardians and treating clinicians during the assessment process and are trained to utilize current research findings (such as those published by the National Institute of Health & Human Services) in the conceptualization and diagnosis.

About InSight Telepsychiatry

InSight is the leading national telepsychiatry service provider organization with a mission to increase access to quality behavioral health care through innovative applications of technology.  InSight has over two decades of telepsychiatry experience and serves hundreds of organizations across the country with its on-demand, scheduled services and Inpathy divisions. InSight is uniquely positioned to offer scalable telepsychiatry services in settings across the continuum of care. InSight has a diverse team of psychiatry providers, a robust internal infrastructure and a history of adapting its programs to fit the needs of a variety of different settings and populations.  InSight has led the growth of the telepsychiatry industry and remains an industry thought leader and advocate.  To learn more about telepsychiatry and how it can benefit you or your organization, visit www.InSightTelepsychiatry.com.

[1] Pennsylvania Population Health Dashboard. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.haponline.org/Initiatives/Population-Health/Pennsylvania-Population-Health-Dashboard

[2] Pennsylvania Rankings. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/pennsylvania/2017/rankings/schuylkill/county/outcomes/overall/snapshot

[3] Mental Health Resources in Pennsylvania. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.rtor.org/directory/mental-health-pennsylvania/

[4] Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (n.d.). Retreived from https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/mental-health-care-health-professional-shortage-areas-hpsas/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D

[5] https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/09/psychiatrist-shortage-causing-suffering-risk-of-jail-and-suicide-in-central-pa.html

Vancouver, WA – The Sea Mar Behavioral Health Clinic in Vancouver, part of the Sea Mar Community Health Centers network, recently expanded its outpatient telepsychiatry program to increase access to psychiatric appointments for people in the Vancouver community seeking mental health treatment.  Prior to the expansion, telepsychiatry services at the Vancouver clinic were available to consumers participating in a specific health plan.  Based on the success of this innovative, new program and the increasing demand for mental health services in the community, Sea Mar is broadening the program to include consumers enrolled in other insurance health plans.

Sea Mar Community Health Centers Expands Telepsychiatry Program in Vancouver, Washington

This telepsychiatry program expansion is launched with longtime partner InSight Telepsychiatry, the leading national telepsychiatry service provider organization. Telepsychiatry is a delivery of psychiatry through real time videoconferencing. It is proven to be an effective form of care delivery and a convenient, cost-effective way to safely expand psychiatric support without the challenge of staffing an in-person psychiatry provider.  Patients treated by telepsychiatry provider, Dr. Monica Nichols, can expect the same services and level of care that someone would receive in-person.

Dr. Nichols is a licensed, board certified adult psychiatrist and is fluent in Spanish. Dr. Nichols completed her residencies in psychiatry and pediatrics and her doctorate at the University Of California San Diego School Of Medicine.

Mental health is a top concern in Washington, as many individuals in the state are living with mental health disorders.  According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), approximately 5% of adults in Washington have a mental health condition and only 44% of them receive any form of treatment from either the public system or private providers. The remaining 56% receive no mental health treatment.[1] In fact, Mental Health America ranks Washington 42 out of the 50 states and Washington D.C. for prevalence of mental health and substance use issues.[2]  And, the suicide rate in Washington exceeds the national average, with more than 17 suicides per 100,000 people.[3]

A significant shortage of mental health professionals

Further compounding the problem, there is a significant shortage of mental health professionals in the state, so many residents are not receiving the treatment they need.  In Clark County alone, the ratio of population to mental health providers is 360:1, compared to the state ratio of 330:1.[4] This means that more than 89% of Washington’s population has inadequate access to psychiatry.[5]

“Sea Mar Community Health Centers is committed to providing quality, compassionate, comprehensive care to residents of Washington State, particularly those in underserved communities.  We recognized the need for increased access to psychiatric care and are excited to expand our existing program to make telepsychiatry services available to even more of our patients.  We have been extremely pleased with the service and level of care we’ve received from our telepsychiatry provider, Dr. Nichols, and patient feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.  We’re looking forward to connecting her with even more patients to bring them the mental health care they need and deserve,” said Nicoleta Alb, South Regional Director of Behavioral Health Services.

“Telepsychiatry gives communities unprecedented access to mental health care specialists. We are pleased to partner with Sea Mar Community Health Centers to offer this service.  Telepsychiatry is a great solution, not only in Washington, but also in many other states across the nation where there is significant mental health need and a shortage of psychiatry providers” said Jonathan Posten, Senior Director of Operations at InSight.

 About Sea Mar Community Health Centers

Sea Mar Community Health Centers, founded in 1978, is a community-based organization committed to providing quality, comprehensive health, human, housing, educational and cultural services to diverse communities, specializing in service to Latinos in Washington State. Sea Mar proudly serves all persons without regard to race, ethnicity, immigration status, gender, or sexual orientation, and regardless of ability to pay for services. Sea Mar’s network of services includes more than 90 medical, dental, and behavioral health clinics and a wide variety of nutritional, social, and educational services. Learn more at www.seamar.org/.

About InSight Telepsychiatry

InSight is the leading national telepsychiatry service provider organization with a mission to increase access to quality behavioral health care through innovative applications of technology.  InSight has over two decades of telepsychiatry experience and serves hundreds of organizations across the country with its on-demand, scheduled services and Inpathy divisions. InSight is uniquely positioned to offer scalable telepsychiatry services in settings across the continuum of care. InSight has a diverse team of psychiatry providers, a robust internal infrastructure and a history of adapting its programs to fit the needs of a variety of different settings and populations.  InSight has led the growth of the telepsychiatry industry and remains an industry thought leader and advocate.  To learn more about telepsychiatry and how it can benefit you or your organization, visit www.InSightTelepsychiatry.com.

[1] Mental Health Resources in Washington. (2019). Rtor.org. Retrieved 15 August 2019, from https://www.rtor.org/directory/mental-health-washington/

[2] Ranking the States. (2015). Mental Health America. Retrieved 2 August 2019, from https://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/issues/ranking-states

[3] Suicide Data | Forefront. (2019). Intheforefront.org. Retrieved 15 August 2019, from http://www.intheforefront.org/resources/suicide-data/

[4] (2019). Countyhealthrankings.org. Retrieved 15 August 2019, from https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/washington/2018/rankings/clark/county/outcomes/overall/snapshot

[5] Mental Health Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). (2019). The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved 15 August 2019, from https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/mental-health-care-health-professional-shortage-areas

James Varrell, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Array Behavioral Care, was invited to present as part of a telepsychiatry workshop during the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s (AACAP) 66th Annual Meeting held in Chicago, IL from October 14-19.

Dr. Varrell is a board certified psychiatrist with a specialty in autism. He has been at the forefront of telepsychiatry and continues to educate the medical community regarding the benefits of telepsychiatry through various presentations and forums. Dr. Varrell performed the nation’s first involuntary psychiatric commitment via a televideo unit in 1999. Today, he regularly performs telepsychiatry evaluations and manages a staff of telepsychiatrists who see and treat patients across the nation.

Chief Medical Officer of Array Presents during American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Meeting

This workshop, “Telepsychiatry: Getting Going and Staying in the Game,” shared best practices in telepsychiatry with children, adolescents and their families across sites, populations, healthcare landscapes and clinical practice. Topics covered during the workshop included:

  • Legal and regulatory issues
  • Financial aspects
  • Technology
  • Finding partners and sites for practice
  • Public and private sector telepsychiatry
  • Models of care
  • Establishing a telepsychiatry space
  • Developing an authentic doctor-patient relationship via telepsychiatry
  • Training and competencies
  • Special issues related to culture, community and ethics

The chairs of this workshop were Kathleen Myers, MD, MPH from the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital and David Pruitt, MD from the University of Maryland. Other co-presenters included Patricio Fischman, MD (Yale Child Study Center), Deepika Shaligram, MD (Boston Children’s Hospital), Shabana Khan, MD (Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital), Daniel Alicata, MD (University of Hawaii), Ujjwal Ramtekkar, MD, MBA, MPE (Nationwide Children’s Hospital), Jennifer McWilliams, MD (Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Omaha), Lloyda Broomes Williamson, MD (Mejarry Medical College), Deborah M. Brooks, MD (University of Maryland). Sarah M. Edwards, DO (University of Maryland), Taryn Park, MD (University of Hawaii), Felissa Goldstein, MD (Lee Specialty Clinic), and Amanda Schroepfer O’Kelly, MD (University of Hawaii-Manoa).

Workshop attendees included early career and established providers, mental health agencies, training program representatives and program developers interested in integrating telepsychiatry into clinical care.

AACAP’s 66th Annual Meeting is the world’s largest meeting for child and adolescent psychiatrists and others interested in children’s mental health. The mission of AACAP is to promote the healthy development of children, adolescents and families through advocacy, education and research, and to meet the professional needs of child and adolescent psychiatrists throughout their careers.

About Array

Array Behavioral Care (formerly InSight + Regroup) is the leading and largest telepsychiatry service provider in the country with a mission to transform access to quality, timely behavioral health care. Array offers telepsychiatry solutions and services across the continuum of care from hospital to home with its OnDemand Care, Scheduled Care and AtHome Care divisions. For more than 20 years, Array has partnered with hundreds of hospitals and health systems, community healthcare organizations and payers of all sizes to expand access to care and improve outcomes for underserved individuals, facilities and communities. As an industry pioneer and established thought leader, Array has helped shape the field, define the standard of care and advocate for improved telepsychiatry-friendly regulations. To learn more, visit www.arraybc.com.

Today, Senators Schatz (D-HI), Wicker (R-MS), Cardin (D-MD), Thune (R-SD), Warner (D-VA) and Hyde-Smith (R-MS) introduced the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2019. The CONNECT Act would expand the use of telehealth services with Medicare. This will be the third attempt to pass this particular legislation as the CONNECT for Health Act was initially introduced in 2016 and again in 2017 but both times it did not pass Congress.

Currently, Medicare limits the use of telehealth to certain services, providers, technology and patient locations. For example, Medicare limits the location where the patient can be during a telehealth visit (also known as originating site) to only eight facilities, including provider offices, hospitals, crucial access hospitals, rural health clinics (RHCs), federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), skilled nursing facilities, community mental health centers or hospital-based renal dialysis centers. Notably, a patient’s home is not one of the eight eligible sites. Furthermore, the eight above mentioned sites must be either located in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or in a county that is outside any Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). These requirements restrict the impact that telehealth can have to Medicare beneficiaries given its narrow scope.

The CONNECT Act of 2019 seeks to address both of these restrictions. For mental health services delivered via telehealth, the Act aims to add the home to the list of eight eligible originating sites. It also seeks to remove the geographic restrictions on all originating site locations and FQHCs, RHCs, and Indian Health Service facilities. Additionally, the geographic restrictions would be lifted for hospitals, critical access hospitals, or skilled nursing facilities for the use of telehealth in emergency medical care services.

Overall, the CONNECT Act would greatly expand the reach of telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries. Given the nature of the Medicare population, having to travel to one of the eight eligible originating sites to receive telehealth services may not be feasible. In many cases, when faced with this barrier, individuals often delay care. However, if Medicare beneficiaries are able to receive services, such as telemental health, within the comfort of their own home, access to care will be significantly increased.

The CONNECT Act proposals to improve the telehealth

InSight supports the proposed changes within the CONNECT Act and has become an endorsing organization on this bill, joining over 120 other organizations including the American Psychiatric Association, American Telemedicine Association and National Council for Behavioral Health. InSight is a tireless advocate for telehealth legislation that works to expand access to quality behavioral health care to underserved communities and populations. Through the CONNECT Act, Medicare beneficiaries stand to benefit from increased access to needed telehealth and telemental health services.

About InSight Telepsychiatry

InSight is the leading national telepsychiatry service provider organization with a mission to increase access to quality behavioral health care through innovative applications of technology. InSight has over two decades of telepsychiatry experience and serves hundreds of organizations across the country with its on-demand, scheduled services and Inpathy divisions. InSight is uniquely positioned to offer scalable telepsychiatry services in settings across the continuum of care. InSight has a diverse team of psychiatry providers, a robust internal infrastructure and a history of adapting its programs to fit the needs of a variety of different settings and populations. InSight has led the growth of the telepsychiatry industry and remains an industry thought leader and advocate. To learn more about telepsychiatry and how it can benefit you or your organization, visit www.InSightTelepsychiatry.com.

How often do you hear or see, “If you are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1.800.273.8255 or if it is a true emergency call 911,” on the news or in the media? If you were in a crisis, would you remember that number? As you may be aware, a new suicide hotline number was recently introduced and is soon to be up for public comment.

This started in 2018 when the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act was enacted. One thing that the Act required was for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to conduct a study to examine the feasibility of creating a simple, easy to remember, three-digit number for suicide prevention, much like the emergency services number, 911. Currently, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 10-digits long.

This August, the FCC completed their report and sent it to Congress. Through their analysis, the FCC recommended designating 988 as the suicide hotline number. In addition to being easier to remember, new this number would route people to their local crisis lines if applicable.

Adopting 988 as the Official National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

This change would not require congressional or presidential approval. The FCC is expected to issue a public notice that it is considering formally adopting the 988 number for the suicide hotline. The proposal will be subject to a period of public comment and a final vote among the FCC’s commissioners before it can go into effect.

InSight, along with many others in the mental health field, signed on to show their support for implementing 988 as the official National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

By shortening the current 10-digit suicide hotline number to three-digits, the hope is that it will be easier for people to remember and will facilitate access to live-saving resources when people need them the most.

About InSight Telepsychiatry

InSight is the leading national telepsychiatry service provider organization with a mission to increase access to quality behavioral health care through innovative applications of technology. InSight has over two decades of telepsychiatry experience and serves hundreds of organizations across the country with its on-demand, scheduled services and Inpathy divisions. InSight is uniquely positioned to offer scalable telepsychiatry services in settings across the continuum of care. InSight has a diverse team of psychiatry providers, a robust internal infrastructure and a history of adapting its programs to fit the needs of a variety of different settings and populations. InSight has led the growth of the telepsychiatry industry and remains an industry thought leader and advocate. To learn more about telepsychiatry and how it can benefit you or your organization, visit www.InSightTelepsychiatry.com.

by Cheryl V. Jackson and featured in Chicago Tribune

After years of feting local innovators, Chicago Innovation Awards co-founder Tom Kuczmarski ⇒ found himself the recipient of an honor himself Monday night, as well-wishers celebrated his recovery from an accident this summer that broke his neck and spine, leaving his right leg paralyzed.

"We are in awe of your strength, your perseverance, your willpower — everything that makes you a role model to all of us on the team," said Luke Tanen, the ceremony’s co-host and Chicago Innovation’s executive director.

The Resilient Innovator Award, presented to a surprised and teary-eyed Kuczmarski, was the last award of the night.

After a tree at his Michigan home fell on his head and severely injured him in June, Kuczmarski spent two months in rehab at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab — also an award winner this year.

Kuczmarski said he'd considered relinquishing hosting duties this year, ending a 15-ceremony run.

“I thought about it. And then, I said, 'Nope. I'm going to do it one way or the other,'" he said.

The 2017 awards show was the first produced since the Chicago Innovation Awards organization renamed itself Chicago Innovation in April to reflect its year-round programming, and its first awards show since co-founder Dan Miller ⇒ cut back his involvement in the event.

The 25 winners, with products and services in industries from health care to parking to snacking, were selected from more than 530 nominees.

The number of on-stage hosts doubled from previous years: Kuczmarski and Tanen shared hosting duties with Executives' Club of Chicago President and CEO Ana Dutra ⇒ and Tastytrade president and Co-CEO Kristi Ross ⇒.

Grammy award-winning folk duo Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn, who were presented with the Spirit of Innovation Award, also performed.

The 16-year-old organization says 100 percent of past award-winners are still in business and raised a total of $1.2 billion after their Innovation Awards honors; 37 of them have been acquired in deals totaling $77 billion, Chicago Innovation says.

Regroup & Chicago Innovation Awards insides

A new Winners Connection program focuses on supporting the growth of past Chicago Innovation Award winners. An upcoming monthly podcast will feature past winners. Chicago Innovation also partners with Technori to have a past winner present at each of the showcase’s monthly events.

"Our mission is to keep making more noise about Chicago as a hub of innovation because we want to attract more talent and more investment," Tanen said. "If we can do a great job of that, then there's going to be more opportunities like Amazon considering Chicago for its second headquarters and more students from different universities considering Chicago as a place to start their careers."

Regular monthly programs — from women's mentoring events encouraging innovation among seniors or those trained on particular areas such as artificial intelligence or food innovation — are serving a broader community, he said. But the increased offerings aren't likely to eclipse the awards program, Tanen said.

"We still remain squarely committed to celebrating Chicago's innovators,” he said. “No matter how many programs or events we're doing, that's always going to be the biggest part of what we do."

The evening’s main award winners

• Narrative Science, a producer of business intelligence software that converts data and graphics into plain English

• Livongo, maker of a suite of diabetes care tools including a blood-sugar monitor that can send information directly to medical professionals

• Reverb, an online marketplace for buying, selling and learning about music gear

• The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago), a research hospital specializing in treatment of spinal cord injury, brain injury and stroke

• Fooda, which replaces traditional corporate cafeterias and food court kiosks with rotating restaurant caterers

• 150 N. Riverside, a new Chicago office building with an inward-sloping base and a number of other architectural innovations

• Abbott, for its Similac formula that has an immune system-supporting prebiotic previously only found in breast milk

• Valent BioSciences for its Zika-fighting insecticide that targets mosquito larvae during the day

• SpotHero's parking app, which is integrated into some connected-car systems

• Simple Mills, for its crackers that contain no grain, gluten, soy, dairy, GMOs or artificial flavors or fillers

The Chicago Innovation Up-and-Comer Awards for startups went to:

• BallotReady, a digital voter guide with detail on all candidates on a ballot

• Tock, an online ticketing system that helps restaurants forecast demand

• Tovala, a smart oven and meal delivery service that custom-cooks meals by scanning package bar codes

• Lisa, a marketplace for on-demand personal services, including hairstyling and massages

• Chowly, which integrates orders from restaurant aggregation into the restaurant's existing point of sale system

• PhysIQ, a sensor-based patient monitor that assists pharmaceutical companies with clinical trials

• NowPow, a data-powered matching engine that connect people with health care resources in their communities

• Georama, mobile live-streaming software that promises reliability and quality

• Explorer Surgical, which makes software for surgical teams enabling teamwork and safety in the operating room

• Pearachute, a monthly membership club that lets parents discover and book kids' activities

It was the second year for the Chicago Neighborhood Awards, presented to innovators and entrepreneurs focused on solving needs unique to Chicago neighborhoods and an effort to drive diversity in the local innovation ecosystem. Black and Hispanic-owned enterprises have been sparse among main-category honorees over the Chicago Innovation Awards’ history.

The 2017 neighborhood awards went to:

• The Wings Program, a domestic violence assistance provider

• The Oak Street Health network of primary-care clinics that specialize in adults with Medicare

• Boombox, which transforms shipping containers into pop-up storefronts for small businesses

The Social Innovator Award went to Regroup Therapy, which offers mental health services to rural communities through telepsychiatry.

Benefit Chicago got the Collaboration Award for its $100 million impact investment fund to support Chicago-area social enterprises through collaboration between the Chicago Community Trust, the MacArthur Foundation and the Calvert Foundation.

IN2, a secondary-school innovation center run by the Illinois Math and Science Academy, won the 2017 People's Choice Award.

Originally written by Cheryl V. Jackson and featured in Chicago Tribune

MARLTON, NJ – InSight Telepsychiatry continues to advocate strongly for telemedicine-friendly changes to the Ryan Haight Act and recently joined 18 other healthcare organizations in supporting a letter penned by the ATA to the DEA. This letter outlines specific recommendations and concerns regarding the development of the upcoming special registration for telemedicine.  Specifically, these signatories strongly encourage the DEA to consider how the process and criteria for special registration for controlled substance prescribing via telemedicine can impact patients living with serious, chronic, disabling, and debilitating conditions, such as substance use disorder and psychiatric conditions.

InSight Telepsychiatry Joins Other Signatories in Imploring DEA for More Flexible Controlled Substance Prescribing via Telemedicine

InSight, along with numerous national organizations, firmly believes that telemedicine has the power to transform our nation’s health care system, reduce disparities in health outcomes and significantly expand access to care among patients in underserved communities.  As such, we feel strongly that any regulations promulgated regarding the special registration for telemedicine must be structured to enable the safe prescribing of certain controlled substances via telemedicine.

To read the full stakeholder letter to the DEA on a Special Registration provision for telemedicine under the Ryan Haight Act click here.

We look forward to the DEA’s release of the special registration for public comment prior to the October 24, 2019, deadline and are confident that the final version of this federal policy will open the doors to more people being served via telemedicine.

About InSight Telepsychiatry

InSight is the leading national telepsychiatry service provider organization with a mission to increase access to quality behavioral health care through innovative applications of technology.  InSight has over two decades of telepsychiatry experience and serves hundreds of organizations across the country with its on-demand, scheduled services and Inpathy divisions. InSight is uniquely positioned to offer scalable telepsychiatry services in settings across the continuum of care. InSight has a diverse team of psychiatry providers, a robust internal infrastructure and a history of adapting its programs to fit the needs of a variety of different settings and populations.  InSight has led the growth of the telepsychiatry industry and remains an industry thought leader and advocate.  To learn more about telepsychiatry and how it can benefit you or your organization, visit www.InSightTelepsychiatry.com.

Regroup to educate Federally Qualified Health Center across IL, IA, MO

CHICAGO, IL, Sept. 19, 2019 - Regroup Telehealth, a telepsychiatry company, and the Illinois Primary Health Care Association (IPHCA) today announced a joint partnership aimed at expanding access to behavioral healthcare across Illinois, Iowa and Missouri.

“Telepsychiatry is an ideal solution to deliver services to patients of community health centers in remote and underserved areas,” said Jordan Powell, president and chief executive officer of IPHCA. “Regroup’s ability to integrate scarce clinicians into IPHCA’s network of community health centers is extremely valuable, and we look forward to seeing an increase in patients utilizing accessible treatment.”

IPHCA PR

Expanding the Access to Mental Health Care

IPHCA represents 48 community health center members that operate nearly 380 sites in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri — serving 1.4 million patients annually. Under the partnership, Regroup will connect with IPHCA’s community health centers through marketing and communication channels to educate members on the effectiveness of integrated telepsychiatry solutions. IPHCA positions its members to be the providers of choice within the communities they serve through advocacy, education and technical assistance, emphasizing a high-quality, accessible and integrated health center model of care.

“Regroup is excited to enter into this partnership with IPHCA to increase access to behavioral health services across communities in these states,” said David Cohn, CEO and founder of Regroup. “Through Regroup’s innovative telepsychiatry technology, high-quality behavioral health professionals can connect with patients who may otherwise not receive care.”

About Regroup

In partnership with providers at more than 100 community locations across America, Regroup brings individualized mental health services to thousands of patients often isolated by geographic, economic and social conditions. Regroup’s clinician-focused culture attracts highly qualified psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, therapists and clinical social workers with specialized skills ranging from pediatric and geriatric to medication management and psychotherapy. Our telemedicine technology and administrative expertise seamlessly integrates mental health into partner care plans and workflows, yielding better patient care, shorter wait times and reduced red tape at primary care, community, hospital and correctional clinics. For more information visit www.regrouptelehealth.com.

About IPHCA

IPHCA represents Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) or community health centers—entities created by Congress to meet the health care needs of underserved communities and high-risk patients. These centers fill a void by providing care for those whom other providers often do not serve. Since FQHCs must, by law, serve the medically underserved regardless of their ability to pay, CHCs are located in geographic regions designated as having a shortage of medical providers who serve this population. In addition, the medically underserved may be low-income, uninsured, homeless, affected by HIV/AIDS, struggling with substance abuse and/or have special needs. IPHCA is committed to fulfilling its mission of helping communities help themselves by advocating and expanding community primary care services across Illinois, and assisting member organizations in fulfilling their goal of community empowerment through health care choice. By advocating on behalf of members’ interests, IPHCA also advocates for underserved citizens and communities. For more information visit

https://www.iphca.org/Home.aspx

 

Learn how telepsychiatry helped an FQHC achieved success in our case study -->>

 

Tags: Regroup in the News

Originally Published in Telemedicine Magazine 

By: Olivia Boyce and Christopher Adams

The Value of Telepsychiatry in the ED - Six Benefits to Cutting Psychiatric Boarding Through Telehealth

Hospitals throughout the nation are plagued with psychiatric patients boarding in their emergency departments (EDs). The wait times for psychiatric patients to see a psychiatrist for that evaluation can take hours or even days. A report of 300 ED directors found that 41% of EDs have a wait time of over two days to see a psychiatrist.[1]

One solution that is helping to reduce psychiatric boarding in EDs across the country is on-demand telepsychiatry.

“The goal of on-demand telepsychiatry evaluations is for the remote psychiatrist to decide on the most appropriate and least restrictive level of care,” says Dr. Jim Varrell, Medical Director of InSight Telepsychiatry, the largest private telepsychiatry company in the US.

“By having a psychiatrist available to do the assessment, on-demand telepsychiatry programs help hospital systems avoid inappropriate admissions, shorten length of stays and improve overall ED patient flow,” explains Dr. Varrell.

1. Shorten ED Wait Times 

According to Dr. Varrell, with on-demand telepsychiatry, psychiatric assessments are able to occur within about an hour of a request on average. Since psychiatric patients typically spend over 3 times longer in the ED than medical patients,[2] telepsychiatry’s timeliness means that psychiatric patients are able to move on to the next level of care much more quickly.

This improvement results in shortened wait times for all patients within the ED, and ultimately an increase in revenue for the hospital system.

2. Increase Hospital Revenue

A study done on the impacts of psychiatric boarding found that boarders prevent an average of 2.2 bed turnovers which results in a lost opportunity cost for the hospital of $2264 per psychiatric patient.[3] By implementing telepsychiatry and improving the rate of bed throughput, a hospital is ultimately able to increase revenue.

3. Reduce Inappropriate Commitments 

Another way telepsychiatry programs are adding value to hospital systems is by reducing costly inappropriate commitments.

South Seminole Hospital in Longwood, FL is an Orlando Health Facility that implemented a telepsychiatry program in November 2014. Through videoconferencing, South Seminole’s ED staff accesses a telepsychiatrist when they have difficult cases or when they need to determine whether an individual who came in under Florida’s civil commitment law, merits psychiatric hospitalization. According to the hospital’s data, during the first six months of the program, one third of the involuntary commitments assessed by telepsychiatrists were rescinded. [4]

“Telepsychiatry allows us to make sure that the psychiatric patients in our ED move on to the most appropriate treatment, whether that is hospitalization or community-based care quickly,” says Charles Webb Manager of the ED at South Seminole Hospital. “When patients don’t have to wait as long for care, they are able to get on a path to better health sooner.”

4. Improve Compliance with Joint Commission Standards

Access to timely care means that hospitals are more likely to be able to meet standards for patient care set by regulating bodies like The Joint Commission who advocate that patient boarding times not exceed 4 hours.

“When hospitals are able to reduce psychiatric boarding from say 14 hours to under 4, there are other financial benefits,” explains Dr. Varrell. “The average sitter for a psychiatric patient costs $15 per hour. By cutting 10 hours from the time a psychiatric patient waits for care, that’s $150 per patient saved on just sitter costs.”

5. Empower and Support Onsite Staff

At a more operational level, the implementation of a telepsychiatry program is reported to better empower onsite staff to handle psychiatric patients. For example, after a telepsychiatry program had been in place for several months at Chester County Hospital in Pennsylvania, the hospital saw an increase in their clearing and placing psychiatric patients without telepsychiatrybecause staff reported greater confidence in their abilities to assess difficult cases knowing that they had a specialist available for consult or assessment when needed.[5]

Dr. Varrell explains that this case study is an example of why collaboration between remote and onsite staff lends itself to the most effective telepsychiatry programs. “Telepsychiatrists are most effective when they establish a rapport and team-approach with the onsite staff. The remote psychiatrists benefits from onsite staff sharing difficult-to-collect information like odor or agitation in the waiting room while the onsite staff benefits from having the expertise of a team of psychiatrists who they know and trust on-call.”

6. Expand Psychiatric Capacities Within Hospitals and Beyond

Because telepsychiatrists are able to work from remote or home offices and don’t have to be in-person at the emergency department, it is much easier to staff difficult hours like weekends, nights and holidays.

Ultimately, establishing an ED telepsychiatry program can set up a health system to more effectively manage the psychiatric needs of an entire community or population. In addition to using telepsychiatrists within EDs, many systems are also expanding programs into other settings within the hospital and beyond.

“It’s important to design a telepsychiatry system with growth in mind from the beginning,” explains Dr. Varrell.

For example, hospitals are using telepsychiatry on their Med/Surg floors and on their inpatient units for weekend and overnight rounding.

Within communities, telepsychiatrists commonly serve community mental health centers, outpatient clinics, correctional facilities, primary care offices and other settings where it is difficult to staff and retain onsite physicians.

More creatively, newer direct-to-consumer models of telepsychiatry are gaining popularity as a convenient way to access services and follow-up care outside of a traditional setting and potentially from home or another private space. Some health systems and insurance companies are beginning to refer psychiatric patients leaving the hospital to in-home telehealth options that make them more likely to attend their follow up appointments and less likely to end back up in the hospital.

“Telepsychiatry can be challenging to implement because it’s a change and it requires the buy-in of many parties,” says Webb. “But ultimately, the return on investment is clear.”

 

Sources

[1] Schumacher Group. (2010) Emergency department challenges and trends. 2010 survey of hospital emergency department administrators.

[2,3] Nicks and Manthey. “The Impact of Psychiatric Patient Boarding in Emergency Departments.” Emergency Medical International. 2012.

[4] Orlando Health Telepsychiatry Data 2014-2015.

[5] Cuyler, Robert. Chester County Hospital Emergency Psychiatry Case Study, 2012.

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