2 additional facilities join our crisis services program

In case you missed this article in the May-June issue of Hospital and Physician Update, we’re reprinting it here. To subscribe to Hospital and Physician Update, a newsletter designed for participating physicians and hospital executives — or to subscribe to other provider newsletters — click here.

We’re continuing to grow our crisis services program, offering members who are experiencing a mental health crisis a wider array of appropriate options. Since we last wrote about our crisis services in our provider newsletters earlier this year, two additional facilities — Network 180 and Integrated Services of Kalamazoo — have joined the program.

Our research with participating facilities has found that members who visit a crisis services location are directed to outpatient services, rather than an emergency department, most of the time and are receiving behavioral health services more quickly. For example, Common Ground is directing them to an outpatient facility 75% of the time.

“This is not only helping our members receive appropriate care but can help them save time and money,” said William Beecroft, M.D., medical director of behavioral health for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. “Emergency departments are among the most expensive care settings and an emergency department visit can be very time-consuming.”

See the table below for the current crisis locations, service areas and available care options.

If you’re a health care provider interested in joining this program, send an email to Dr. William Beecroft at wbeecroft@bcbsm.com or William Pompos at wpompos@bcbsm.com.