Detroit-based Henry Ford Health has reduced its patient suicide rate by over 70 percent through its Zero Suicide collaborative care program, MLive reported May 18.
Henry Ford Health said its high-suicide-risk patients also currently have the lowest documented rate in the country and the system has even had years with no reported suicides, according to the publication.
The model, which was developed in 2001, trains and requires primary care physicians to screen all patients for risk of suicide at each visit. If the caregiver finds indicators of risk, they can assess the level of risk and refer patients to treatment by working with behavioral health professionals.
Providers are trained to follow specific intervention protocols, including psychiatric evaluation, advising patients to remove weapons and stockpiled pills, involving family, promoting self management, community referral or support, and referring patients for follow-up therapy, where the timeline is based on risk level.
The team that developed the model has recently teamed up with Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan to expand the program to more providers across Michigan and other states. The initiative, known as MI Mind, has partnered with five hospitals in Michigan: Oakland Southfield Physicians, Med Net One in Rochester, Henry Ford Medical Group in Detroit, Trinity Health IHA Medical Group in Ann Arbor and Answer Health in Grand Rapids.