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Two experts with Array Behavioral Care, Scott Baker, VP of Sales, and Dr. Brian Schurgin, Physician Executive, joined Kelly Wisness from Besler’s Hospital Finance Podcast to discuss the clinical and financial impacts of psychiatric boarding in hospital emergency departments and how a comprehensive virtual behavioral care solution can benefit the hospital by decreasing direct costs and enhancing revenue opportunities by moving patients through the ED in an appropriate and timely fashion. Listen here.

Highlights of this episode include:
  • Where to access behavioral healthcare
  • The clinical and financial implications of coverage gaps
  • How gaps in coverage affect the emergency department
  • How med/surg floors and inpatient units are affected
  • Behavioral health solution for hospitals
  • Financial benefits

 

With nowhere else to go, individuals in need of behavioral health care are increasingly turning to hospitals for help. The surge in demand has overwhelmed resources at even the best staffed hospitals. Nowhere is the problem more pronounced (or more costly) than in the ED where the length of stay is considerably longer for behavioral health patients. This prevents bed turnover, leads to higher costs of care, poor patient experiences and outcomes, and treatment delays.

However, a well-designed behavioral health strategy should extend beyond the ED. The strategy should consider the full continuum of care, including upstream and downstream solutions for inpatient units and outpatient settings to improve access to timely psychiatric care and reduce preventable ED utilization. Instead of constantly bailing out the boat, let’s start plugging the holes.

In a live webinar hosted by the American Hospital Association titled: Beyond the Bucket Brigade: Strategies for Behavioral Health Management Across the Continuum of Care, leaders from Array explore how telepsychiatry can ease the strain and extend beyond the ED to cover the full continuum of care. Based on their expertise in the behavioral care space, the speakers present innovative, tech-powered avenues for crisis intervention, stabilization, and post-crisis support in acute and ambulatory care settings.

Featured Speakers

Leroy Arenivar, MD

Medical Director of Scheduled Care, AtHome Care, and Clinician Engagement

As a double board-certified psychiatrist specializing in child, adolescent and adult psychiatry, Dr. Arenivar received his medical degree from the McGovern School of Medicine and completed his residency at the Baylor College of Medicine (Menninger Department of Psychiatry). Dr. Arenivar served as Chief Resident of Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison Service at Ben Taub General Hospital and Psychiatry Emergency Center and completed a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at the University of California San Diego. In July 2021, Dr. Arenivar was honored to be featured on the list of “Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars,” for healthcare providers with a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Learn more. 

Jamie Evans, MD, MPH

Medical Director of OnDemand Care and Clinician Engagement

Double boarded in Family Medicine and Psychiatry, Dr. Evans received her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh and completed her residency at the University of Cincinnati Academic Medical Center. She holds a master’s degree in public health with a concentration in health behavior and health education. Prior to joining Array’s team, she served as a family physician in rural North Carolina for 4.5 years. She continues to work in an urgent care clinic and is interested in psychiatric crisis work and psychosomatic medicine, as well as mentoring students pursuing healthcare. Learn more. 

Scott Baker, MBA

Vice President

Baker leads a team of business development executives building relationships across the continuum of care to help increase access to quality behavioral care. In his role, Baker works closely with health systems, hospitals, clinics, IDNs, payers, employers, EAPs and other organizations to develop successful virtual behavioral health programs and partnerships. Baker has worked in this industry since 2012 and focuses his attention on identifying and innovating opportunities for improving care via telehealth. Baker frequently shares telebehavioral health trends, applications, and best practices at speaking engagements across the United States.

Key Statistics: Behavioral Health Trends in Hospitals

During a live webinar hosted by the American Hospital Association, Array conducted a survey revealing how the demand for behavioral care is a challenge in hospitals and health systems. Many are reporting ED visits for behavioral issues at rates higher than 20%, and 67% are experiencing high readmission rates for these patients. Explore the data to better understand the landscape and the need for timely, expert-led virtual behavioral care programs.

To view a recording of the webinar, click the button below.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss how Array Behavioral Care can help your organization, please contact us.

U.S. News and World Report highlighted a recent Boston Children's Hospital study that marked a substantial increase in pediatric patients presenting in hospital emergency rooms for mental health-related issues. The study confirmed what other hospitals in the nation are experiencing regarding increased demand for pediatric mental health care.

The influx of young patients is a direct result of COVID-19-related isolation issues and other mental health admissions for depression, anxiety, substance abuse, self-harm, and other disorders sparked by the pandemic. The study highlighted the strain this situation places on an already overburdened system, compounded by a backlog of children and teens being boarded in emergency rooms, often waiting days for a behavioral health care specialist appointment to be available.

Array is uniquely positioned to provide virtual psychiatry in such circumstances. Our clinicians offer an important service along the behavioral health continuum of care, helping hospitals by attending to patients in acute care situations, reducing the length of stay, providing post-discharge care, and reducing inappropriate admissions by offering timely access to quality care from licensed mental health specialists. Early intervention for mental health care can avoid costly hospitalizations for pediatric patients and their families.

In response to the youth mental health crisis, Array Behavioral Care hosted a panel discussion on the alarming rise in the number and acuity of pediatric behavioral health presentations to hospital emergency departments across the country.

The panel brought together the nation’s leading experts from Array Behavioral Care, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and Chester County Hospital/Penn Medicine to discuss the underlying factors that contribute to the increased demand for pediatric behavioral health care, the clinical and operational implications of managing these patients in acute care settings, and the potential upstream and downstream interventions and strategies to help address this problem. 

Featured Speakers

Mark Alter M.D. Ph.D. SVP MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF ON DEMAND SERVICES headshot

Mark Alter, MD, PhD

Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Acute Care, Array Behavioral Care
In addition to continued practice of on-demand telepsychiatry, Mark Alter, MD, PhD (he/him/his) manages Array’s team of OnDemand Care clinicians and guides them in telemedicine and industry best practice. Dr. Alter is board certified in Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and is also a principal investigator with the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. With more than 14 years of clinical practice in behavioral health and affiliations with over 10 medical facilities, Alter provides a wide range of clinical and operation expertise to Array’s partners.

Scott Baker

VP of Sales, Array Behavioral Care
As Vice President of Business Development, Scott Baker leads a team of business development executives tasked with building relationships across the continuum of care in order to increase access to quality behavioral health care services. In his role, Baker works closely with health systems, hospitals, clinics, IDNs, payers, employers, EAPs and other organizations to develop successful telebehavioral health programs and partnerships. Baker has worked in the telebehavioral health space since 2012 and focuses his attention on identifying and innovating the latest opportunities for improving care via telehealth. Baker frequently shares telebehavioral health trends, applications, and best practices at speaking engagements across the United States.

Ameer Mody, MD, MPH

Director of ED Clinical Informatics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Born and raised in Southern California, Dr. Mody is in his 6th year as an attending in the Emergency department at CHLA and is the Director of Kids Care. His interests in pediatric emergency medicine include emergency department administration, LEAN initiatives in emergency medicine, asthma care, and patient throughput. He has published chapters in a variety of PEM textbooks, most recently in the 6th edition of Fleisher and Ludwig’s textbook of Pediatric Emergency Medicine. In 2010, Dr. Mody was awarded the American Academy of Pediatrics, Chapter 4 Young Pediatrician of the Year, Current research involves utilizing mobile smartphones to communicate radiographic findings and development of advanced physician performance metrics. In his spare time, Dr. Mody enjoys exploring the local food scene and placing unrealistic athletic expectations on his 3 children, ages 12, 9, and 7.

Kyle Finucane, MSW

Director of Behavioral Health, Chester County Hospital (Penn Medicine)
Kyle Finucane, MSW has spent the past six years as a Social Worker at Penn Medicine – Chester County Hospital, working in the Emergency Department. He was promoted to the role of Social Work Team Lead in 2016 and recognized as Leader of the Year in 2018. Kyle has a vast background in Social Work Practice having worked in a variety of settings including skilled nursing facilities, hospice, and children and youth services. His varied professional experiences have all had a connection to the world of behavioral health whether directly or indirectly. Kyle is passionate about community members having easy access to quality behavioral health services and care. He feels that Health Care Connect is an impactful organization that connects people of varying backgrounds for the betterment of our community.

Solome Tibebu

Founder & CEO @Going Digital: Behavioral Health Tech
Solome Tibebu is a behavioral health technology strategist passionate about health equity and access. Solome leads The Upswing Fund for Adolescent Mental Health, a collaborative fund seeded by Melinda Gates' Pivotal Ventures and other private family offices. Solome is also the host of the Going Digital: Behavioral Health Tech summit. Prior to consulting various stakeholders on all things behavioral health technology, Solome worked in corporate development, venture capital, behavioral health EHR software, ran a mental health tech startup, founded AnxietyInTeens.org, and has been developing healthcare startup communities since 2012. Solome is an advisor or board director to several behavioral health companies and national nonprofits.
To view a recording of the panel discussion, click the button below.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss how Array Behavioral Care can help your organization, please contact us.

Array Behavioral Care's CEO, Geoffrey Boyce, joins the Partnership to Advance Virtual Care to share lessons learned from the pandemic and how changes to legislative and regulatory environments could support patients and providers moving forward. 

You’ve experienced the telehealth surge firsthand at the height of the public health emergency. Now, hear from Array and other leading providers on how we deployed telehealth solutions and supported patients during COVID-19, and how the healthcare industry can work together to maintain the positive momentum we’ve witnessed with telehealth implementation.


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. 

Now is the time for telebehavioral health. We’ve seen a remarkable evolution for a rapidly changing telehealth industry, and the virtualization of behavioral health interactions is exploding as the need for mental health services rises and is predicted to continue. 

Array (formerly InSight + Regroup), the industry’s most experienced telepsychiatry service organization, will share fundamental best practices for implementing hospital-based telepsychiatry and discuss Illinois’ regulatory landscape. 

The webinar will cover a variety of topics, including:  

  • Hospital and health system applications of telepsychiatry 
  • How telepsychiatry has helped in response to COVID-19 
  • Illinois regulatory changes (reimbursement, HIPAA compliance, prescribing and licensure) 
  • Operational and financial outcomes derived from on-demand telepsychiatry (ROI) 
  • Lessons learned and how they will shape the future of telehealth care delivery 

Join Scott Baker, MBA, Vice President & Senior Group Lead of Partnerships as the discusses how telepsychiatry gives hospitals the ability to achieve quick, safe throughput to ensure proper use of ED and inpatient unit resources while driving a return on the investment of telepsychiatry. 

For questions, contact webinar@arraybc.com

Please complete the form to view the webinar recording and download the slides. 

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Join the American Telemedicine Association and Geoffrey Boyce, CEO and Dr. Hossam Mahmoud, Medical Director of Array (formerly InSight + Regroup), as they share the latest perspectives on telebehavioral healthcare and the elements of providing these needed services across the continuum care in today’s modern and evolving landscape.

From emergency departments to outpatient clinics, community health centers and patients’ homes, telebehavioral health services are increasing access by meeting individuals where they need it most.

The industry is poised to continue adopting behavioral telehealth solutions and Array is focused on preparing all types of organizations by helping them understand the advantages and approaches to implementation, regardless of setting or services needed.

Join us as we cover a variety of topics, including:

  • Current trends in behavioral health and telepsychiatry
  • On-demand services for hospital emergency departments
  • Scheduled telebehavioral health services for outpatient, community health clinics and federally qualified health centers (FQHC)
  • Direct-to-consumer services to uniquely bring life-changing behavioral care directly into people’s home

Please complete the form to view the webinar recording and download the slides. 

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On May 7th, 2020, eHI joined Array (formerly Insight + Regroup) for this important discussion on telepsychiatry best practices and regulatory guidance during COVID-19 and beyond.

Topics include:

  • Best practices for blending clinic-based and in-home care models
  • How EDs and crisis centers can face rising need for mental health services
  • How phone consultations can supplement virtual care encounters
  • Selecting a sustainable telehealth platform that is compliant beyond COVID-19
  • Leveraging licensure options to begin delivering care
  • Expedited credentialing processes to deploy services quickly
  • Regulatory shifts and how they can shape the future of telehealth care delivery

Panelists:

  • Geoffrey Boyce, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Array
  • Irene Epshteyn, MD, Adult Psychiatrist, Whiteside County Community Health Clinic; Associate Medical Director, Scheduled Services, Array
  • Naveen Kathuria, JD, SVP, Growth & Advisory Services, Array

Complete the form to access this webinar.

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OSF HealthCare is a large regional health system comprised of 13 hospitals and just over 100 primary care, specialty, and urgent care clinics.  Included within these locations are three critical access hospitals, three Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and many other sites serving rural and semi-rural areas in Illinois and Michigan. Our recent webinar highlights Array (formerly InSight + Regroup) partnership with OSF and how they've implemented integrated telepsychiatry services to improve access to behavioral health services.

Read on to download the webinar and see how Dr. Hossam Mahmoud and Luke Raymond, Director of Behavioral Health at OSF answered the questions asked during the live event.

The vast majority of OSF's service locations are located within behavioral health shortage areas, which creates significant barriers in accessing care, particularly psychiatric treatment, where many of its locations have zero psychiatric providers located within a reasonable distance from patients’ homes. Significant travel and costs associated with treatment create an environment wherein many primary care providers become the de facto psychiatric providers for their communities and are often faced with treating high acuity patients with complex medical and behavioral health problems. This often leads to patients experiencing rapid exacerbation of their symptoms that necessitate an emergency room visit and potential inpatient psychiatric admission.

Please complete the form to view the webinar recording and download the slides. 

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If you are in crisis, call 988 to talk with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, text HOME to 741741 to connect to a free crisis counselor, or go to your nearest emergency room.