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Harbor and ProMedica
to Partner to Meet Growing Community Mental Health Needs
More than
35 percent of adults in Ohio report their mental health
status as poor
Special to The
Truth
Today ProMedica and Harbor
announced plans to form a joint operating company (JOC) to
address a growing community need for mental health services
in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.
The JOC will help increase access to much needed
behavioral health services and enhance care through a more
integrated, coordinated model.
According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, mental illness is a “serious
and growing problem” that affects about a quarter of
American adults. In Lucas County, nearly 30 percent of
adults have a mental health disorder. More than 35 percent
of adults in Ohio report their mental health status as poor.
ProMedica offers comprehensive
behavioral health services with a key focus on inpatient
intensive care. Harbor offers significant expertise in a
wide range of outpatient mental health programs and
services. In July, Harbor and Behavioral Connections of Wood
County, Inc., merged. Together, the two agencies have 23
locations and more than 650 employees in Lucas, Wood and
Defiance counties providing treatment for mental health and
substance abuse.
ProMedica and Harbor already
collaborate in behavioral pediatrics and autism at
Children’s Safe Harbor on the campus of ProMedica Toledo
Children’s Hospital and the Great Lakes Collaborative for
Autism.
“This is a natural evolution of
our relationship and we see a tremendous opportunity to
build on existing synergies and strengths,” said Lee
Hammerling, MD, chief physician executive and chief medical
officer, ProMedica. “Now area patients will have access to a
full spectrum of high-quality, convenient and coordinated
behavioral healthcare services.”
Harbor and ProMedica will focus
on clinical integration where appropriate to respond to
healthcare reform by implementing standard care protocols,
guidelines and best practices around the management of
behavioral health disorders.
There will also be
an
increased effort regarding wellness, prevention and
education aimed at reducing the stigma of a behavioral
health diagnosis and
the empowerment of patients
through awareness and outreach.
“The most exciting and
beneficial part of the agreement is how much it will benefit
our clients and their families,” said John Sheehan, Harbor’s
CEO. “The affiliation will make us stronger. We will have
more staff resources, and we will have additional program
and service opportunities for our patients.”
In addition, there will be a
focus on increased recruitment of behavioral health
specialists to the region. Research shows a severe shortage
of psychiatrists and behavioral health providers in
northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.
ProMedica and Harbor will
explore new and innovative ways to treat children and
adults. One example is the use of Telehealth technology to
expand care to patients in rural communities.
The JOC will have a six-member
board that will include representatives from both ProMedica
and Harbor. The Harbor name will remain and it will operate
as an affiliate of ProMedica.
For more information about
behavioral health services at ProMedica and Harbor, visit
www.promedica.org/mentalhealth and
www.harbor.org.
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