Health systems are adopting new strategies to expand access to behavioral healthcare amid increasing demand for services and workforce challenges. Two leaders share how their organizations are innovating to improve mental health support for patients through technology and integrated care models.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: Whether through new clinical tools, integrated behavioral-medical teams or innovative treatment protocols, what emerging approaches are you most focused on to improve outcomes and reduce long-term risk for the populations you serve?
Carla Allan, PhD. Division Chief of Psychology at Phoenix Children’s: Phoenix Children’s is expanding behavioral health integration by leveraging innovative telehealth technology throughout our health system. With Alexa Show devices installed in every exam room, our clinicians can instantly respond to universal suicide screenings. This ensures at-risk patients receive immediate, evidence-based interventions before they even leave the room, allowing our teams to deliver life-saving care. Since launching in March 2023, we have administered more than 150,000 suicide screens, allowing us to take a population health approach that positively impacts patient safety and mental health support.
Dawn Zieger. Vice President, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Geisinger (Danville, Pa.): Geisinger is on a journey of transformation with outpatient services to meet the continued high demand for services that remains difficult in areas of workforce shortage. To inform our transformation, we are adapting the Harvard Business Review concept of an integrated practice unit. We are modifying the concept by aligning virtual and in-person resources around a patient and the communities they live in to create virtually integrated practice units. This is allowing us to create a care ecosystem that would naturally happen when providers are physically in a location. Over time, we expect to strengthen relationships with primary care practices, integrated care behavioral health providers and local social services. Our goal is to create an integrated experience for our patients and providers, increasing collaboration and improving outcomes over time.
