Increasing Occupancy is ‘Significant’ Opportunity for UHS’ Behavioral Health Business

Universal Health Services (NYSE: UHS) is setting its sights on increasing behavioral health bed occupancy after seeing improvement in its recruitment and retention metrics. UHS identified increasing occupancy as its next target for growth in its Q3 earnings call, utilizing a strategy of recruitment retention and expanding service lines to achieve this goal. “Broadly increasing […]

Pediatric Patients with Mental Health Disorders Account for Over 1 Million ER Visits a Year 

Over a million emergency room (ER) visits are attributed annually to children and adolescents with a mental health disorder diagnosis. That’s according to a new study by the CDC, which builds on previous research demonstrating the worsening mental health crisis among children and adolescents. The emergency department has become the first response for immediate mental […]

Behavioral Health Urgent Care Models Can ‘Save a Lot of Dollars’ While Helping Patients in Crisis

The emergency department is often the first point of care for patients experiencing a behavioral health crisis. However, a trip to the ED is expensive for patients and payers and often isn’t the most appropriate place for patients. New models of behavioral health urgent care have begun to emerge. These models don’t replace EDs but […]

20% of Primary Care Providers Say They’re Incentivized for Behavioral Health Care

The majority of primary care clinicians say they want to provide more behavioral health care but need additional training tools and resources. This comes as more providers and payers emphasize the benefits of primary and behavioral health care integration. Nearly 40% of primary care providers (PCPs) are screening patients for behavioral health conditions, according to […]

State Hospital Investments Correct the Pendulum Swing From Too Many Psych Beds to Not Enough

State hospitals are on the rise. Several states are collectively putting billions into safety-net hospitals with ties to both the civil and justice systems. At the same time, the private sector struggles to convert demand for services into business opportunities. In the wake of Kennedy-era deinstitutionalization, public and private investment in psychiatric hospitals, which care […]

‘EmPATH’ Units Seek to Shatter the Behavioral Health Emergency Department Bottleneck

Health systems are seeing a steep increase in patients coming to emergency departments (EDs) for psychiatric conditions. However, the ED is often not the best place for patients in a psychiatric crisis. One major ramification of this increase is many of these patients can face a long wait time, causing a significant bottleneck in the […]

LifePoint Opens New JV Hospital Valley Springs; Summit BHC Launches 50-Bed Residential Facility

LifePoint opens new joint venture with Baystate Health  Behavioral health operator Lifepoint Health and nonprofit health system Baystate Health have opened a new joint venture Valley Springs Behavioral Health Hospital. LifePoint operates the Massachusetts-based facility, offering inpatient behavioral health services for teens and adults. It will include 150 private and semi-private rooms, as well as […]

Sabra’s Portfolio Is ‘The Most Diversified It Has Ever Been’ As It Moves to Add More Behavioral Health Facilities

Sabra Healthcare REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA) boasts its most diversified portfolio as it continues to invest in behavioral health properties. While most of the Irvine, California-based real estate investment trust’s (REIT) assets are in the skilled nursing facility (SNF) and senior living spaces, behavioral health now makes up about 14% of its asset concentration. “Our portfolio […]