UK HealthCare opens first psychiatric emergency unit in Kentucky
LEXINGTON In July 2024, UK HealthCare opened a new emergency unit dedicated to the treatment of patients experiencing a mental health crisis. The unit, known as EmPATH (emergency psychiatric assessment, treatment, and healing), is the first of its kind in Kentucky. The UK HealthCare EmPATH Psychiatric Unit is on the campus of Eastern State Hospital.
Currently, there are only about 30 EmPATH units in the U.S. UK HealthCare and New Vista have collaborated with leadership from the Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services to bring this new model of emergency behavioral health care to Kentucky.
“The EmPATH model is a game-changer for mental health care, and we are proud to be the first in the state to open this unit,” said Robert S. DiPaola, UK co-executive vice president for health affairs. “With EmPATH, we’re using a proven, evidence-based approach that allows our behavioral health team to provide fast, appropriate evaluation and care that’s easier for patients to access in an environment conducive to healing.”
EmPATH units are carefully designed physical environments that help patients experiencing an acute mental health issue receive immediate support. Instead of individual treatment rooms, the units are wide open spaces with comfortable seating. Upon arrival, individuals interact with supportive health care providers including psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, and even peer support specialists. Patients can stay in the unit for up to 23 hours.
Eastern State Chief Administration Officer and psychologist Lindsey Jasinski, PhD, says the peer support aspect is one of the chief factors that make this model successful. Patients can speak to others who have dealt with taking medication, receiving therapy, and participating in different programs.
At roughly 11,000 square feet, UK HealthCare’s EmPATH Psychiatric Unit has room for up to 12 patients at a time. Providers and support staff assess the individual’s symptoms and develop a care plan, which could include a treatment plan and discharge home with connection to appropriate outpatient services, or admittance as an inpatient for round-the-clock care. Nationally, studies show that 60-70% percent of individuals who come to an EmPATH unit are stabilized and sent home within 24 hours.
Patients treated in these units are also far more likely to continue their care. A study published in Academic Emergency Medicine showed that 60% of individuals in rural areas with suicidal thoughts or ideation sought follow-up care after their initial treatment in an EmPATH unit.
Reducing the Load on Traditional ERs
The EmPATH unit will help reduce the load on traditional emergency departments. A 2020 study of mental health-related emergency room visits showed an increase from 6.6% to 10.9% between 2007-2016. The physician-owned partnership Vituity, which helps hospitals develop their own EmPATH units, estimate that currently 12-15% of emergency room visits are related to behavioral health.
While EDs can provide critical care to acute injuries, illnesses, and traumas, they often do not have the resources or staffing to effectively treat individuals in a mental health crisis. EDs must prioritize patients with life-threatening issues.
Andrew Cooley, MD, is a UK HealthCare psychiatrist and has served as chief medical officer for Eastern State Hospital since 2013. He stated, “Our emergency departments give amazing care and save countless lives every day. We know that patients who come in with a life-threatening injury will need to take priority, and patients experiencing a behavioral health crisis will be further down the list to receive treatment. EmPATH is the alternative to that – a patient shows up here, and we immediately greet them and begin care.”
Behavioral Health Has a Broad Patient Population
UK HealthCare’s EmPATH Psychiatric Unit is open to adults age 18 and over who ae experiencing a behavioral health crisis, which has a broad definition: any mental health problem that impairs their ability to perform normal daily functions, take care of themselves, and keep themselves safe. That could include those seeking help for a substance use disorder, those experiencing depression and anxiety, someone who is thinking about self-harm or suicide, and more. Patients may be brought in through emergency medical services (EMS), or may self-refer and bring themselves there.
The EmPATH unit is part of UK HealthCare and will have its own separate entrance at Eastern State Hospital’s campus, on Bull Lea Road in Lexington. Eastern State Hospital is owned by the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities and managed by UK HealthCare. It operates 195 acute care beds and provides critical, recovery-focused psychiatric care for adults from a 50-county region of the state.