Aurora, Colo.-based UCHealth has expanded access to behavioral health services statewide following a $150 million investment in 2019.
The system integrated licensed behavioral health specialists into 62 primary care clinics and expects to reach 65 by the end of the year, resulting in more than 204,000 visits, according to a news release shared with Becker’s. In 2023, it opened a 40-bed inpatient unit at University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, where more than 1,200 patients have received care.
UCHealth is slated to open a 50-bed inpatient behavioral health unit at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colo., Dec. 8. The unit is expected to support about 500 additional patients annually.
The system’s Center for Dependency, Addiction and Rehabilitation reported an 85% increase in outpatient visits and a 60% increase in residential services since late 2019.
Since November 2022, UCHealth clinicians have responded to more than 14,000 behavioral health-related calls through partnerships with nine law enforcement agencies. More than 85% of these calls were resolved without arrest or emergency department visits.
UCHealth has received over 430,000 virtual behavioral health service requests since 2019 and provides over 1.2 million suicide risk screenings annually.
