In an effort to connect women in the weeks before and after pregnancy with responsive mental health care, the state health department and a collaborative virtual psychiatry practice are partnering up to provide consultation with clinicians statewide.
For the last three months, the groups have been piloting a project called PRISM, which stands for Psychiatric Referrals, Intervention, and Support in Montana. The program is made up of a free consultation phone line or website where clinicians treating a woman in the perinatal period can call to get psychiatric teleconsultation services from Frontier Psychiatry, a virtual practice based in Billings.
Montana has a lack of mental and behavioral health providers. All but one of the stateâs counties are designed as not having sufficient mental health professionals, said Mary LeMieux, who works in the Member Health Services Bureau of the state health department.
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A pregnant woman in a striped dress standing profile against a blue sky on June 25, 2010.
The Montana state health department is launching a consultation line for rural health professionals treating pregnant women and moms with mental health conditions.
The line is designed to bolster Montana’s mental health resources.
A nurse-midwife in Kalispell recently was considering possible medication for a patient with a history of postpartum psychosis, but what she really needed was a specialist.
“I wanted to get her a team, and unfortunately it takes a little while to get into psychiatric care,” said nurse-midwife Christie Weseman.
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One page of St. James Healthcare s Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade report. Overall the facility earned an B.
Last week, several Montana hospitals were graded on patient outcomes and safety measures by the nonprofit group Leapfrog. Most hospitals scored well, but other Leapfrog grades show room for improvement.
Emily Coyle with the Montana Healthcare Purchasers Association explained the Leapfrog grading system is meant to help consumers compare hospitals’ patient outcomes when deciding where to receive care or surgery.
“So the hospital safety grade uses over two-dozen measures including rates of preventable errors, injuries and infections, and whether hospitals have systems in place to prevent them.”
Report Cards Are In For Montana’s Hospitals
Last week, several Montana hospitals were graded on patient outcomes and safety measures by the nonprofit group Leapfrog. Most hospitals scored well, but other Leapfrog grades show room for improvement.
Emily Coyle with the Montana Healthcare Purchasers Association explained the Leapfrog grading system is meant to help consumers compare hospitals’ patient outcomes when deciding where to receive care or surgery.
“So the hospital safety grade uses over two-dozen measures including rates of preventable errors, injuries and infections, and whether hospitals have systems in place to prevent them.”
Of the state’s 10 larger hospitals graded this spring, Coyle says six earned A and B grades. The remainder received Cs, and Kalispell Regional Healthcare was given a D.
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