Robert Garrett, CEO of Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health, is calling for a "Mental Health Moonshot" to address the nation's behavioral health crisis, similar to commitments the country has put forward through the Cancer Moonshot.
On March 13, Mr. Garrett spoke at Politico's 2024 Health Care Summit in Washington, D.C., saying a coordinated approach is needed to improve access to mental healthcare and support advancements in treatment.
"With New Jersey and the nation facing an unparalleled mental health epidemic, we are calling for a mental health moonshot to write a new narrative for behavioral healthcare," he said. "We need a multi-pronged strategy including expanding access to care, better coordination of care, and innovation of treatments."
Mr. Garrett shared a range of investments the Hackensack Meridian Health has made recently as part of the system's focus to expand access to care in 2024. Among them are opening more residency spots for psychiatry students at the system's medical school, expanding inpatient beds for pediatric and adolescent patients and specialized training for nurses to identify and care for ED patients who may be having suicidal thoughts.
In February, HHS announced $37 million in grant funding opportunities to improve access to behavioral health services across the country, most of which are focused on community-based programs through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. CMS also issued new guidance to state Medicaid directors that expands the pool of providers to include master's-level behavioral healthcare providers, such as mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists.
Mr. Garrett applauded these steps but said a more targeted approach, modeled off of the Cancer Moonshot, is needed to make meaningful progress in addressing the nation's behavioral health crisis.
Through Cancer Moonshot — which involves healthcare providers, the federal government, patients, advocates and researchers — the U.S. to prevent at least 4 million cancer deaths by 2047. In 2023, HHS debuted a plan to achieve moonshot goals.