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Providing for the whole patient is at the core of the rapidly expanding Integrated Psych Solutions.
“We started in outpatients services. In 2021, we went in the burn unit. The JMS burn center is the largest burn center in the country,” said Clayton Swalstad, chief executive officer of Integrated Psych Solutions in Augusta, in a recent phone interview.
Patients at the burn center often experience life-altering situations. Burns can irrevocably change someone’s appearance.
Physicians and surgeons care for the physical body, but the patients’ mental and emotional needs aren’t always as readily addressed. That’s where Integrated Psych Solutions stepped in, providing mental health services within a hospital setting.
“Burn patients receiving care at the JMS Burn Center at Doctors Hospital are not just undergoing a radical physical life change,” said Dr. Vy Homsombath, medical director and surgeon, in a news release. “The mental load of their diagnosis and treatment can be overwhelming. IPS has been an invaluable resource that helps patients feel heard and provides them with the tools they need to recover mentally and physically.”
IPS services are introduced soon after a patient is admitted to the hospital with a visit of about 20 to 50 minutes from a provider, the news release continued.
The news release said that patients who received the services within the first 24 to 48 hours may require less medication and respond better to them, have a shorter hospital stay, be less likely to return to the hospital and learn better coping skills to manage their medical condition.
IPS started with the burn center, but Swalstad said the organization is finding the need continues to expand.
Mental health came more into focus during the pandemic with people realizing they needed help, and they became stigmatized for asking for it, he said.
“The demand is so great,” he said.
Since its initial partnership with Doctors Hospital and the burn center, IPS has expanded its reach.
“IPS has since grown to provide support to post-acute facilities and rehabilitation centers. Other clients include large medical groups across various specialties, including primary care, oncology and OB/GYN. IPS takes the load off doctors in these specialties by supporting patients dealing with the mental health impact of diagnoses such as cancer or post-partum depression. In primary care, where patients may be dealing with multiple diagnoses, undiagnosed behavioral health exists among more than 30% to 40% of the patient population,” the release said.
It’s also expanded into the Florida county jail system and is the mental health service provider for the Florda Mental Health Hotline.
“We’ll be expanding into Thomson and Waynesboro. I can’t staff fast enough,” Swalstad said.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for 35 years. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
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