York, Pa.-based WellSpan Health has cut its emergency department utilization by 32% after implementing a new program that incorporates behavioral care and addiction treatment, a spokesperson for the system shared with Becker's Feb. 28.
The primary focus driving these results has been on caring for patients in need of behavioral health treatment in a different way.
WellSpan Health's Specialized Treatment and Recovery Team provides patients with a combination of medical, behavioral care and addiction treatment. Its premise is to address needs like food and housing insecurity, to make sure patients are set up with a wellness plan and resources to adhere to it so they stay out of the ER for basic care.
In 2022, the initiative received a $4 million grant to further expand the program's services.
WellSpan also has a mobile crisis unit that can respond to patients and connect them to care and resources, alongside police when they are responding to a crisis call.
A combination of the two behavioral-focused care solutions has allowed WellSpan to reduce the number of patients coming to EDs for behavioral care by 50% and has also led to a 90% decrease in patients who stay longer than 24 hours.