As part of this expansion, the system is preparing to add a new inpatient behavioral health unit at Deaconess Regional Medical Center. When completed, it will be the only inpatient behavioral unit in the area, Kathryn Bertany, MD, CEO of Bozeman Health, told Becker’s.
“Being able to keep these patients close to home, and all of their support resources — family, friends, both mental and physical health clinicians — I think is incredibly beneficial for their healing process,” Dr. Bertany said.
The system will add three more psychiatrists to its staff this summer, Dr. Bertany said. Eventually, these physicians will work in the inpatient unit, but they will fill gaps in outpatient and inpatient consulting in the meantime.
The system has expanded its behavioral health offerings the past several years, adding an emergency mental health crisis evaluation unit two years ago.
Bozeman Health serves a more than 2,000-square-mile area in Montana. Nicole Madden, BSN, RN, system director of behavioral health, said need in the area is critical.
“Montana is in the top three states for suicide rates in the country every year and has been for decades,” she said. “Having access to appropriate behavioral healthcare across the state is going to be really important for reducing the negative outcomes people have from not having access to good care.”
In 2022, Montana was the state with the highest rates of suicide per capita, according to the CDC. In 2023, Bozeman Health’s psychiatric emergency services department provided 1,360 crisis evaluations, Ms. Madden said, with 67% of those for suicidal ideation or attempted suicide.
In addition to expanding emergency services, the system has added more outpatient treatment and integrated behavioral services in other areas. The growth was spurred both by an increase in demand for services during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Bertany said, and the departure of some community organizations the health system stepped up to fill.
Ms. Madden said the majority of the behavioral health staff members the system added have come on board in the past two to three years. The system has used a multidisciplinary approach to build the team, adding nurses, patient care technicians, occupational therapists and care coordinators to address different needs.
For hospitals and health systems looking to build up their behavioral care offerings, finding the right services to match what the community needs is key, Ms. Madden said.
“No one community is created the same as another,” she said. “Everybody has individual needs. You really have to work with what you’ve got, get a good foundation in your community and go from there. Don’t be afraid to think about things differently or innovate that care.”
Most communities are in need of more behavioral health services, Dr. Bertany said, so health systems should pick one thing and do it well before moving on to the next goal.
“As you start to take on bits and pieces, you will get requests, both internally and externally, to do more,” she said. “I think it’s really important to do what you do well first, and then start to expand. Try to communicate that in an effective way, so you’re able to deliver for the patients you are providing for. Then evaluate the ongoing gaps and take them on in sequence, as opposed to eating the elephant all at once.”