Through Louisville-based KentuckyOne Health's new telemedicine program, patients who visit the Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital emergency department with a psychiatric or mental health condition will be able to benefit from the expertise of professionals at Our Lady of Peace, a psychiatric hospital in the KentuckyOne system.
A telemedicine connection will allow Our Lady of Peace clinicians to assess the patient and consult with ED physicians about diagnosis and treatment. The program is designed to quickly determine the best course of treatment and most appropriate care setting for these patients.
Our Lady of Peace professionals will also be able to communicate with the patients' families or caregivers through the telemedicine connection. "When someone you love is in crisis, direct interaction with a mental heath professional can be very calming and reassuring," said Michael Dawson, a licensed clinical social worker and assessment and referral director at Our Lady of Peace. "Telemedicine allows us to help provide that support to families and patients more quickly."
Telemedicine is also helping Our Lady of Peace professionals collaborate with physicians at Saint Joseph London (Ky.), another KentuckyOne hospital. Health system officials would like to one day expand the program to more KentuckyOne facilities.
"We are pioneering this collaboration at two facilities in hopes that we can extend access to mental health care throughout [Kentucky], particularly in areas where limited or no psychiatric services are available," said Jennifer Nolan, president of both Our Lady of Peace and Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital. "It is the mission of KentuckyOne Health to provide wellness, healing and hope to all, including the underserved. Improving access to mental health services is paramount to that mission. Telemedicine extends services and improves efficiency at the same time."
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