American Hospital Association Calls on Congress to Address Shortage of Behavioral Healthcare Providers
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is urging the Senate Finance Committee to strengthen financial support programs that assist healthcare systems to address the shortage of providers of behavioral healthcare. The organization recently penned a statement to Congress highlighting how the coronavirus pandemic increased the demand for care and aggravated the behavioral health crisis.
All individuals, but particularly children and adolescents, are experiencing high rates of depression, anxiety and substance use disorder, among other mental issues. However, barriers hinder them from acquiring proper care. Currently, health systems and hospitals are finding it hard to offer sufficient behavioral healthcare services to youths because of provider and psychiatric bed shortages.
The AHA emphasized that patients in the rural areas faced substantial barriers to care, as more than 60% of areas with shortages of mental healthcare providers were partially rural or rural.
The organization asked Congress to raise the number of residency slots for all physicians funded by Medicare. Lifting this cap would provide more opportunities for people to enter the workforce, thus helping alleviate the shortage. The American Hospital Association also asked Congress to set up scholarships and offer financial support to encourage providers to specialize in behavioral healthcare for children. The group also recommended that Congressional leaders review rates of payment to make certain that providers of behavioral healthcare were receiving proper reimbursement for services rendered.
The AHA has joined an initiative focused on raising awareness and prompting action to support the mental health of adolescents and children. It has also declared its support for a number of funding initiatives that assist groups that focus on recruiting groups which are under-represented in the behavioral healthcare workforce, like the Health Careers Opportunity Programs and the Centers of Excellence.
In addition to this, the organization approved the Child Suicide Prevention and Lethal Means Safety Act, which would allocate funds to training programs to help healthcare providers identify young individuals who are at risk of self-harm or suicide. This approval indicates an effort to decrease suicide risk factors. This initiative will also offer grants to schools of medicine for training on suicide prevention.
Furthermore, the AHA called on Congress to approve the Preventing and Addressing Trauma with Health Services Act, which would offer funds for mental services and trauma support in communities impacted by violence. These monies would also enable hospitals to advance their violence intervention programs, which are focused on decreasing retaliation with patients as they recover.
Another way to deal with behavioral healthcare issues is by exploring new therapeutic agents that can address those problems from the root, and that search is what entities such as Cybin Inc. (NYSE American: CYBN) (NEO: CYBN) are engaged in.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) (NYSE American: CYBN) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CYBN
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is urging the Senate Finance Committee to strengthen financial support programs that assist healthcare systems to address the shortage of providers of behavioral healthcare. The organization recently penned a statement to Congress highlighting how the coronavirus pandemic increased the demand for care and aggravated the behavioral health crisis.
All individuals, but particularly children and adolescents, are experiencing high rates of depression, anxiety and substance use disorder, among other mental issues. However, barriers hinder them from acquiring proper care. Currently, health systems and hospitals are finding it hard to offer sufficient behavioral healthcare services to youths because of provider and psychiatric bed shortages.
The AHA emphasized that patients in the rural areas faced substantial barriers to care, as more than 60% of areas with shortages of mental healthcare providers were partially rural or rural.
The organization asked Congress to raise the number of residency slots for all physicians funded by Medicare. Lifting this cap would provide more opportunities for people to enter the workforce, thus helping alleviate the shortage. The American Hospital Association also asked Congress to set up scholarships and offer financial support to encourage providers to specialize in behavioral healthcare for children. The group also recommended that Congressional leaders review rates of payment to make certain that providers of behavioral healthcare were receiving proper reimbursement for services rendered.
The AHA has joined an initiative focused on raising awareness and prompting action to support the mental health of adolescents and children. It has also declared its support for a number of funding initiatives that assist groups that focus on recruiting groups which are under-represented in the behavioral healthcare workforce, like the Health Careers Opportunity Programs and the Centers of Excellence.
In addition to this, the organization approved the Child Suicide Prevention and Lethal Means Safety Act, which would allocate funds to training programs to help healthcare providers identify young individuals who are at risk of self-harm or suicide. This approval indicates an effort to decrease suicide risk factors. This initiative will also offer grants to schools of medicine for training on suicide prevention.
Furthermore, the AHA called on Congress to approve the Preventing and Addressing Trauma with Health Services Act, which would offer funds for mental services and trauma support in communities impacted by violence. These monies would also enable hospitals to advance their violence intervention programs, which are focused on decreasing retaliation with patients as they recover.
Another way to deal with behavioral healthcare issues is by exploring new therapeutic agents that can address those problems from the root, and that search is what entities such as Cybin Inc. (NYSE American: CYBN) (NEO: CYBN) are engaged in.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) (NYSE American: CYBN) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CYBN
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
