On December 8, 2006, the Princeton Insurance Department of Healthcare Risk Services sponsored a Roundtable Presentation entitled, “Treating Patients with Psychiatric Needs in the Emergency Department.”

Guest speaker Susan Stefan, JD, Director of the National Emergency Department Project in the Center for Public Representation, and the author of the book entitled, “Emergency Department Treatment of the Psychiatric Patient: Policy Issues and Legal Requirements,” focused on the issues facing emergency departments and hospitals from a national perspective. She stressed the need for training and resources to address the special needs of behavioral health patients.

Roundtable panelists spoke about the ways in which this issue is impacting New Jersey hospitals. The panelists were: Mary Ditri, Director of Professional Practice from the New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA) and a member of the Behavioral Health Constituency Group; Anthony Hartmann, MD, Director of Emergency Medicine at Somerset Medical Center and President of the New Jersey American College of Emergency Physicians; Susanne Rainier from the New Jersey Division of Mental Health Services; Deana Sperling, VP of Behavioral Health Services at St. Barnabas Health System; and NaDean Wristbridge, RN, President of the NJ Emergency Nurses Association and 2006 Nurse Manager of the Year.

Susan Stefan, Nadean Wristbridge and Deana Sperling listen as Russ introduces the topic.

Deana Sperling and Susanne Rainier

Panelists Anthony Hartmann, MD and Mary Ditri

A total of 49 representatives from 19 Princeton-insured facilities attended the presentation.  Of the 49 in attendance, 19 were Emergency Department personnel, nine were Risk Managers, seven were Behavioral Health personnel, four were Security/Safety personnel, four were Educators, and six were from various other departments.

 
The entire panel

Some of the comments and feedback in the evaluations indicated the need:

• for better communication between emergency department and psychiatric emergency screening personnel;
• for additional information and training within the emergency department;
• for further information on EMTALA and its relation to Behavioral Health patients and
• to establish and share information about medical clearance criteria. 

Suggestions were made to establish National Patient Safety Goals for Mentally Ill/Behavioral Health patients, as well as have available funds and grants to set up specific areas in the emergency department for patients waiting for psychiatric emergency screening. Attendees also expressed interest in additional dialogue on the topic.