In its first six months of operation, Lexington, Ky.-based UK HealthCare's EmPATH unit helped more than 1,800 patients and reduced emergency department readmissions.
The Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing unit opened July 30 on the system's Eastern State Hospital campus, according to a Jan. 6 system news release. The unit is open 24/7, has capacity for 12-16 patients and allows patients to stay up to 23 hours. The program provides emergency services for adults with behavioral health needs as an alternative to the ED. It's the first of its kind in Kentucky and one of 30 in the nation. The EmPATH model began in California and has been shown to reduce hospitalizations by 60%.
"One of the most rewarding aspects of EmPATH is that we're able to provide services to people who previously were either not seeking services or were reluctant to get help," Marc Woods, chief nursing officer for Eastern State Hospital, said in the release. "Also, they're not only getting help in the moment, but they're also being set up to receive care after they walk out the door."
Here are seven more statistics to know about the program:
- The EmPATH unit sees around 10-12 people at any given time and the primary complaint is suicidality.
- The average length of stay is 15 hours and most patients return home after receiving community resources.
- The program has helped patients from 21 states and 66 Kentucky counties.
- Patients arrive at the program on their own, or through law enforcement or EMS.
- The unit has decreased readmission rates and the number of patients seeking behavioral health care at two hospitals.
- About 25% of patients at EmPATH are hospitalized.
- The program has also increased the rate of people who keep their follow-up appointments, going from 29% at baseline to an average of 61%.