SAN LEANDRO, Calif., Dec. 10, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- John George Psychiatric Hospital (JGPH) announced that Scott Zeller, MD, Chief of Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES), was awarded the Šimanek Distinguished Service Award by the California Hospital Association (CHA) during the 2013 Behavioral Health Care Symposium in Huntington Beach, CA. Each year, CHA's Center for Behavioral Health honors a health care leader who promotes excellence in behavioral health care through outstanding contributions to hospitals and health care services, as demonstrated by a successful project or program. Dr. Zeller was recognized for his work in developing, promoting and leading efforts to understand the effectiveness of a Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) framework known as the "Alameda Model."
"Dr. Zeller's tireless effort to help others understand that PES increases access to mental health services, improves the quality of care, and reduces the cost of providing care, has drawn interest from across California and throughout the U.S. because of its alignment with national health care reform goals. The Alameda Model of patient care resolves a well-known national dilemma by reducing delays for psychiatric care and preventing ER boarding of psychiatric patients," Guy Qvistgaard, John George Psychiatric Hospital Administrator, said. "Over the last year, we've hosted clinicians from Cornell University, Orange, Ventura and Sacramento Counties, and had inquiries from cities such as Toronto and Chicago. Officials are eager to learn how our framework may be applied in their city, county, or district. We thank Dr. Zeller for his hard work on behalf of patients at JGPH and Alameda Health System, and congratulate him on this great achievement."
The Šimanek Distinguished Service Award is named after Joe Šimanek, who served as attorney in the Office of the General Counsel for the Regents of the University of California. He did extensive work on state public policy related to medical and mental health confidentiality laws and the treatment of mental health patients. Previous award winners include Diane Stewart, Chief Administrative Officer of Sutter Center for Psychiatry; Dr. Robert E. Hales, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at U.C. Davis Medical Center; May Farr, co-founder of Inland Valley's first NAMI chapter; Assemblymember Helen MacLeod Thomson; and attorney M. Steven Lipton.
More information about the Alameda Model of patient care, including a link to Dr. Zeller's study, "Effects of a Dedicated Regional Psychiatric Emergency Service on Boarding of Psychiatric Patients in the Emergency Department," may be found at www.alamedahealthsystem.org , or by clicking here .
About John George Psychiatric Hospital (JGPH)
John George Psychiatric Hospital, located in San Leandro, California, is part of Alameda Health System (AHS), a major public health care provider recognized as a world-class patient and family-centered system of care. The facility provides psychiatric emergency and acute care services to adults experiencing severe and disabling mental illnesses, and treats all who seek care regardless of their economic or social status.
The hospital provides care for nearly 100 percent of all acute psychiatric emergencies in Alameda County, and is a leader in the use of data analytics to formulate effective care decisions. Emphasis on best-practice behavioral techniques and data analytics has enabled John George to rise in the ranks of psychiatric hospitals and units nationwide.
A major economic force in Alameda County, AHS employs 3,800 people including over 800 physicians at eight facilities throughout the county. Besides John George, these include Highland Hospital, a major regional trauma center and teaching hospital,; San Leandro Hospital, which provides emergency and in-patient hospital care services; Fairmont Hospital, an acute rehabilitation and skilled nursing facility; and four ambulatory wellness centers at Eastmont, Highland, Newark and Hayward.
Dan Virkstis (510) 437-5047 Kyle McGuire (925) 790-2788
