Lauren LaPine, senior director, legislative and public policy, MHA, appeared on the MIRS Monday podcast published March 24 to discuss the state behavioral health system.
LaPine spoke about the challenges associated with patients boarding in the emergency department (ED) while they await placement for behavioral health services and the impact it has on all patients. She also discussed the current need for specialty psychiatric placements and the need to increase capacity for these beds in the state.
“When we have patients coming to the emergency department that are in a behavioral health crisis, that can cause a backlog and [increased] wait times for critical care,” said LaPine. “We learned that at any one point in time, there are 177 patients stuck in the emergency department waiting for either a behavioral health assessment to determine what kind of care they need, or they’re stuck in the ED waiting for an inpatient bed.”
The episode was hosted by Samantha Shriber from MIRS and joining LaPine during the interview was Constance O’Malley, RN, MSA, FACHE, regional chief operating officer, UM Health Regional Network; and Rep. Greg VanWoerkom (R-Norton Shores), chair of the House’s Medicaid and Behavioral Health appropriations subcommittee.
Members with any questions regarding media requests should contact John Karasinski at the MHA.