Hear the story of a mother in New Jersey whose teenage son struggles with suicidal tendencies. She recently spoke about the contrast between seeking in-person care 3 years ago and her recent experience with telepsychiatry. The first time, she and her son waited for more than 18 hours in a crowded ED for her son to be seen by a social worker, not a psychiatrist, which is a common occurrence as hospitals shoulder the burden of the nationwide mental health crisis amid a shortage of behavioral care professionals.
Three years later, amid COVID and with the help of telehealth, their experience was very different. This time, the hospital had implemented a telepsychiatry program that allowed her son to be seen in just a matter of hours by a psychiatrist who evaluated him and sent him home with a concrete treatment plan and next steps. With telepsychiatry, the wait for timely, quality behavioral health care is over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbQBB8viEAE
Array Behavioral Care is a Washington Hospital Services Industry Partner. The Industry Partner program connects hospitals with product and service organizations to create efficiencies, lower costs and deliver exceptional health care. For more information about Array Behavioral Care or the WHS Industry Partner Program, contact Cynthia Hay at cynthiah@wsha.org or call (206) 216-2526. (Cynthia Hay)
