The Utah Emergency Physicians group (UEP) sees far too many behavioral health cases. This is especially true for children and adolescents in the emergency department. To help solve the problem, the physicians and APPs of UEP have pledged a $250,000 donation to Primary Promise.
Primary Promise, including its behavioral health focus area, represents the most significant investment ever made to the health and wellness of children across Utah and the Intermountain West. The minimum $600M investment is strengthening Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, addressing emerging health needs of the children in the communities we currently serve, and expanding access to pediatric care throughout the Intermountain West.
According to Katy Welkie, RN, chief executive officer of Primary Children’s Hospital and vice president of Intermountain Children’s Health, Intermountain has seen a 300% increase in children coming into emergency departments for behavioral health issues over the last several years. And over the past decade, suicide has been the leading cause of death among Utah youth ages 12 to 17.
While seeking help in a mental health crisis is always the right choice, emergency departments aren’t always the perfect place for treatment. Emergency room physicians and APPs are skilled at stabilizing and treating emergent psychiatric disorders including aggressive or suicidal behavior.
However, once these patients are stabilized, they can end up staying for hours or even days in the emergency department waiting for inpatient psychiatric beds. Also, the crowded and sometimes chaotic environment of the emergency department can be an additional stressor and increase anxiety levels in this critical patient population. Because of this, patients and families realizing they have no other resource other than coming to the emergency department can be reluctant to address behavioral health issues at all.
“There’s definitely a stigma around behavioral health. Some parents are afraid to bring their children to the emergency department if their child has depressive or suicidal thoughts, because they’re afraid of making it public and think it would be best handled at home,” says Dr. David Barnes, MD, the president of Utah Emergency Physicians group. "Intermountain is now offering an option outside of the emergency department where children and adolescents suffering from acute behavioral health issues can diffuse the situation in a more private and less chaotic environment. We see the value in this to our patients and we want to be a part of the solution.”
As part of Primary Promise, Intermountain has introduced mobile response units and is preparing to offer expanded behavioral health services at the Primary Children’s Hospital Miller Family Campus, along with other resources to address the behavioral health crisis. This gift represents the first physician group to make a significant donation to Primary Promise, and they encourage other groups, departments, and teams to follow their lead.
“As a group, we knew we had the opportunity to help offer better care for this children and adolescent population. We consider these our patients and it is just the right thing to do,” says Dr. Barnes.
You too can be part of this solution by signing up to donate with payroll deductions.
Intermountain has worked to create more access in a variety of ways, including providing a free Intermountain Behavioral Health Navigation Line that is available seven days a week, from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. and can be reached at 1-833-442-2211.
Dial 988 for a suicide crisis lifeline.
Contributor
Matt Perry
Philanthropy Marketing Manager
Intermountain Children's Health