Companies hope partnership can boost medical, psychiatric care to EDs

A physician-owned acute care practice and a virtual psychiatry and therapy practice have announced a partnership that aims to provide comprehensive acute medical and psychiatric care services to EDs across the country.

U.S. Acute Care Solutions and Array Behavioral Care have created a new model called Behavioral Emergency Stabilization and Treatment (BEST), which the companies expect will join clinical and technological expertise to combat the growing epidemic of acute mental illness, according to a release from USACS.

“By combining our strengths in emergency medicine, hospital medicine and critical care with Array’s expertise in behavioral care, we can meet the physical and mental health needs of our patients and support our health system partners with a comprehensive suite of acute care services,” Chris Hummer, CEO of USACS, said in the release.

According to prior research cited in the release, it is not uncommon for those with psychiatric issues to remain in EDs for 12 hours or more, or for psychiatric patients waiting days for specialist care and transfer to appropriate institutions. The burden on psychiatric patients and their families is paralleled by the challenges posed to the health system, especially during this time of staffing and resource shortages, Array and USACS said in the release.

Using virtual technology, Array and USACS expect to facilitate quicker access to care and continue to address social determinants of health that can lead to acute medical and psychiatric crises, according to the release.

“Our mission at Array is to help address the nation’s mental health needs by using technology to bring licensed behavioral health clinicians to patients everywhere,” Geoffrey Boyce, CEO of Array, said in the release. “Together with USACS, we can help provide holistic care to more patients in acute care setting.”