UCHealth aims to improve behavioral health services in the state through a $100 million investment, the Aurora, Colo.-based health system announced Sept. 3.
UCHealth said it would also match up to $25 million in donations, bringing the total potential investment to $150 million over five years.
The investment will allow UCHealth to expand existing behavioral health services across the state while also rolling out new initiatives, which include:
- Staffing teams of clinical social workers and psychologists in primary care offices
- Offering telehealth consultations with a psychiatrist to patients in emergency departments, primary care clinics and hospitals
- Constructing an inpatient behavioral health unit at the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora
At present, about 832,000 adults in Colorado have a mental health issue, and more than half are not receiving treatment, according to estimates from Mental Health America.