Funding allows doctors to fill mental health care gaps in hard-to-reach; underserved areas
Sheppard Pratt Health System will hold a press conference this Friday in gratitude to CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield for committing more than $1.7 million in total funding since 2012 toward health system initiatives that provide mental health care access to communities in need across the state. Collectively, this funding has allowed Sheppard Pratt to set up community-based programs that administer care to nearly 3,000 individuals across Maryland, many of whom live with severe mental illness.
The press conference will feature remarks on the importance of mental health care access from Senator Ben Cardin and Sheppard Pratt Health System president and CEO Dr. Harsh K. Trivedi, along with other local elected officials and mental health leaders.
Sheppard Pratt Health System operates 84 programs across 16 Maryland counties, providing community-based care through its wholly-owned subsidiary programs, which include Mosaic Community Services, Way Station, Family Services, and Alliance. Working through these affiliates, Sheppard Pratt has implemented several programs using CareFirst grant funding in recent years. In 2014, Sheppard Pratt received $650,000 to launch a telemedicine program that gives behavioral health care providers the ability to assess, diagnose, treat, and educate from a remote location—allowing patients to receive care locally. Today, the program serves 1,200 patients in Worcester, Somerset, Garrett, Cecil, Caroline, and Dorchester counties.
In the past year, Sheppard Pratt affiliate Mosaic Community Services expanded the health system’s telemedicine services using a CareFirst grant for $500,000. The program is currently serving more than 600 individuals with mental illness in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Harford County, with plans to expand to serve over 1,800 children and adults in these areas.
“So much of the care we provide at Sheppard Pratt—whether it’s mental health, substance use, special education, or social services—takes place right here in our communities, where we all live and work,” said Dr. Harsh K. Trivedi, president and CEO of Sheppard Pratt Health System. “Sheppard Pratt is proud to be a national leader in providing community-based telemedicine, and we are grateful to CareFirst for enhancing our ability to do so.”
In addition to telemedicine services, CareFirst has funded $600,000 to create medical homes for individuals with severe mental illness, operated by Sheppard Pratt Health System affiliate Way Station. These homes, based in Frederick, Howard, and Washington counties, provide 800 adults with coordinated mental and physical health care, along with individual support to navigate social service needs and deal with life challenges.
“Sheppard Pratt has a long history of using innovative care to help those with mental illness, and continues to provide much needed access to mental health care in community-based settings across the state,” said Senator Ben Cardin.
The CareFirst press conference will take place Friday, July 7 at Mosaic Community Center, located at 2225 North Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Doors open at 9:30 a.m., with remarks beginning at 10:00 a.m. The press and members of the public are encouraged to attend.
About Sheppard Pratt
Sheppard Pratt is the largest private, nonprofit provider of mental health, substance use, developmental disability, special education, and social services in the country. A nationwide resource, Sheppard Pratt provides services across a comprehensive continuum of care, spanning both hospital- and community-based resources. Since its founding in 1853, Sheppard Pratt has been innovating the field through research, best practice implementation, and a focus on improving the quality of mental health care on a global level. Sheppard Pratt has been consistently recognized as a top national psychiatric hospital by U.S. News & World Report for more than 30 years.