[In The Media] Compass Health Center Announces Expedited Admissions Process for ERs and IPUs to Accelerate Speed to Care

In response to increases in mental health crises leading to emergency room visits, Compass Health Center designs process to fast-track referrals for patients, without the wait.  

SILVER SPRING, MD, December 5, 2024 - Compass Health Center today announces its new Expedited Admissions Process for emergency rooms (ERs) and In-Patient Units (IPUs). The new Expedited Admissions Process will improve patient outcomes and provide better support for ER and IPU personnel by facilitating smooth transitions of care from hospital settings to outpatient settings with Compass Health Center.  

Following extensive research regarding the challenges facing ER and IPU care managers, Compass Health Center identified the need for efficient reliable solutions to ensure continuous support for patients and their families. 

Emergency rooms are often the first point of care for those experiencing a mental health crisis, especially for individuals not in treatment or already on long wait lists. Many ERs face bed shortages and limited resources for handling complex, acute mental health cases. Often, ERs will refer patients to an IPU – but IPU stays are not meant as a long-term solution, stays are short, typically five to seven days and meant to stabilize a mental health crisis. Most people will require additional outpatient treatment.  

Emergency rooms are often the first point of care for those experiencing a mental health crisis. Many ERs face limited resources for managing complex mental health issues and it is not uncommon that while individuals wait to be assessed in an ER, their symptoms will worsen. Compass Health Center’s Expedited Admissions Process offers a solution for ERs that reduces wait times for assessment and helps individuals who may need urgent, immediate but not inpatient mental health care, access the right level of care more quickly. Compass’ Expedited Admissions Process also offers solutions for inpatient units which are not meant as a long-term treatment options. IPU stays are short, typically lasting five to seven days, and focused solely on safety and stabilization. Most individuals will require additional outpatient treatment upon discharge and benefit from a smooth transition through incremental levels of care on the mental health continuum, without any gaps. Compass Health Center’s new process offers simple and efficient ways for these transitions to be put in place prior to discharge from ERs and IPUs to ensure smooth and timely continuity of care.  

The Compass Health Center Expedited Admissions Process has been specifically developed to reduce strain on patients, families, and hospital staff. After a six-month pilot with major Maryland and Illinois hospital systems, Compass Health Center is now rolling out the Expedited Admissions Process more widely with easy-to-use referral tools and resources that ensure a smooth, collaborative process. 

Dr. Chad Wetterneck, Senior Vice President of Clinical Development and Excellence Compass Health Center, released the following statement regarding the new Compass Health Center Expedited Admissions Process: "Taking patients from the crisis stage to the recovery stage can be difficult for them, their families and providers alike. Our new Expedited Admissions Process will streamline intake while ensuring continuity of care, and most importantly, help produce positive health outcomes for patients. In this way, we can better provide the highest quality of care to our patients when they need it.” 

The new Compass Health Center Expedited Admissions Process will provide a variety of benefits to patients, their families and medical personnel. Specifically, the Expedited Admissions Process was designed to ease speed to care by immediately providing same day assessments for patients, over the phone. If there is a fit, a patient can be admitted the next day and begin treatment. This reduces the time that care managers and social workers are trying to figure out where the patient needs to go next. The Expedited Admissions Process will also ensure that patients have access to continuity of care with a psychiatrist.  

The Expedited Admissions Process is designed to address the high burnout and fatigue rates for ER and IPU staff as providers are managing mental health challenges more than ever before and need timely, trusted and effective solutions for patients. Compass Health Center allows for an immediate solution that hopefully will lower stress for employees and improve health outcomes for patients. 

You can learn more about this new process and make a referral here.

Further Reading 

• How Do I Know Which Type of Mental Health Treatment is Right for Me? | A Clinician’s Guide to Understanding Levels of Care  
• How to Ask for Mental Health Help  
• Which Mental Health Diagnoses are Treated at the PHP and IOP Levels of Care at Compass?