Christina Trinchero: Access to acute mental health care an urgent need 

Earlier this month, more than 35 patients needing acute psychiatric care visited their local ERs. Chances are some waited for days for an inpatient psychiatric bed; others could still be awaiting mental health treatment and care.

The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association (MHA) publishes weekly reports examining the number of behavioral health (BH) patients who need a psychiatric evaluation. According to the MHA, BH boarding occurs when a patient must wait in an ER or on a hospital’s medical-surgical unit until a behavioral health bed is available. In addition to the 35 patients in western Massachusetts ERs, another 383 patients languished in hospital ERs across the state. This trend is a manifestation of a broken system in Massachusetts and across the country.

In May, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) urged legislators to address the nation’s boarding crisis, especially for people with acute mental health conditions, “by convening a summit to address the crisis and support the bipartisan Congressional call for the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a boarding task force … so that immediate and long-term solutions can be identified and implemented.” To address these challenges, according to ACEP, the H.R. 1205 “Improving Mental Health Access from the Emergency Department” is one step toward fixing a systemic fissure in the care of people experiencing mental health emergencies.

Change will not happen overnight. For years, notes the MHA, “the behavioral health system has struggled with serious challenges related to patient access, inadequate reimbursement and a shortage of qualified health care workers.” By making your local legislators aware that this issue is not going away, and is of concern to our local community, you give voice to thousands of people each year who are not able to access the acute mental health care they need and deserve.

Christina Trinchero

Montague

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