New Technology Improves Response Time for Mental Health Issues

DELAND, Fla., March 12, 2018,

Psychiatrists will continue to physically round in Florida Hospital DeLand's emergency department daily, but because mental health conditions and chemical dependency can cause unpredictable symptoms, this new technology enables physicians to assess patients remotely, regardless of the time of day.

Each year, Florida Hospital DeLand has approximately 500 admissions per year in its voluntary Behavioral Health unit, composed of four licensed beds for substance abuse and six licensed beds for mental health patients.

The DeLand hospitals Behavioral Health Services team cares for patients 18 years of age or older experiencing a serious mental health condition and/or chemical dependency. In fact, Florida Hospital DeLand is one of few medical facilities in Central Florida that can accept patients with substance abuse as the primary diagnosis.

Led by psychiatrist Dr. Luis Allen, the medical director of Behavioral Health Services at Florida Hospital DeLand, the team of psychiatrists, behavioral health workers, therapists, and psychiatric nurses work to stabilize patients in crisis, treating psychiatric symptoms and providing safe detox from chemical dependency. The team at Florida Hospital DeLand can address any substance abuse or mental health concern, including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and more.

Behavioral health continues to be a critical concern for the community, said Allen. With the availability of tele-mental health services, properly designed, we are leaping into the future to address today's challenges, ensuring services are on hand when needed by removing time [24/7 availability] and space constraints. This technology increases the accessibility of the physician to the community and patients under the Baker Act.

About Florida Hospital DeLand

Florida Hospital DeLand is a member of Adventist Health System, a faith-based health care organization with 45 hospital campuses and 8,200 licensed beds in nine states, serving more than 5 million patients annually. With a mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ, Florida Hospital DeLand has 164-beds and is one of the seven Florida Hospitals in Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties that compose the Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region. As the largest hospital system in the area, the Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region has 1,226 beds and more than 7,800 employees.