Wellstar Foundation
Healthcare
INNOVATION SERIES Behavioral Health & Wellness
Thursday, September 23 12-1:30 pm Join HERE via Zoom Meeting ID: 885 0775 3230 Passcode: 982039 Dial-in: +1 301 715 8592
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Use these pre-reading materials to learn more about behavioral health in Georgia and to facilitate meaningful discussions during the upcoming Behavioral health Innovation Series. SPEAKER
HOST
Chief Pediatric Officer, Wellstar Health System
President and CEO, WellStar Health System
Avril Beckford, MD
Candice Saunders
SPEAKER
HOST
Chief Behavioral Health Officer, Wellstar Health System; Director of Psychology and Psychiatry, Wellstar Medical Group
Senior Vice President, Wellstar Health System; President, Wellstar Foundation
Ryan Breshears, PhD
Julie Teer
SPEAKER
Judson Brewer, MD, PhD
Executive Medical Director of Behavioral Health, Sharecare; Director of Research and Innovation, the Mindfulness Center at Brown University; New York Times best-selling author of Unwinding Anxiety
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BY THE NUMBERS Behavioral Health at Wellstar Georgia is ranked 34 of 50 states for access to mental health services
61% of individuals with mental illness in Georgia receive no mental health treatment
20,000
behavioral health assessments annually
800
telepsychiatry consultations in EDs
3,600+
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for children ages 15-19 in Georgia
acute psychiatry patients
1 in 5 children and adolescents in the
outpatient psychiatric visits
U.S. have a behavioral or mental health condition
19% of adults with children in Georgia lack
health insurance, compared to the national average of 12%
Wellstar Foundation | Healthcare INNOVATION SERIES
7,000 1,800
pediatric behavioral patients in the ED
29%
of pediatric admissions (ages 16+) are seeking psychiatric support
SITUATION ANALYSIS In Georgia, nearly 4 million people are living with a behavioral health condition, and societal inequities and disruptive, unforeseen events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have only exacerbated the need for enhanced behavioral health resources. As one of the largest and most integrated health systems in the state, Wellstar Health System has established a network of services to better serve individuals in crisis and build relationships with community providers to prevent the need for emergency intervention.
Despite a significant drop in patient volumes across many Wellstar Service Lines during the COVID-19 pandemic, Behavioral Health volumes remained stable during the peaks of the pandemic and assessment volumes have increased over the past 12 months.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, youth ages 11-17 have been more likely than any other age group to exhibit moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety and depression.
In addition to this increased demand, we have experienced barriers to both inpatient behavioral health placement and discharge to outpatient services due to the pandemic. Our Behavioral Health Service Line is one of 11 clinical service lines, providing psychiatric and behavioral healthcare within Wellstar’s hospitals and outpatients settings. Annually, our team conducts over 20,000 behavioral health assessments and 800 telepsychiatry consultations in Wellstar Emergency Departments, provides acute psychiatric care for over 3,600 patients and offers over 7,000 visits to outpatient psychiatric services. Wellstar is committed to whole-person care that considers every part of your well-being. In addition to traditional outpatient care, Behavioral Health Service Line providers are integrated into Wellstar Primary Care, Bariatric Surgery, Cardiovascular Medicine and Family Medicine practices to provide immediate access to care for individuals in need of behavioral health services. Interventions and education are also implemented systemwide, as part of Wellstar’s Zero Suicide Initiative.
Specialized Behavioral Health Programs at Wellstar: • Psycho-oncology • Pediatric Psychology • ConsultationLiaison Psychiatry
• Suicide Prevention • Adult Neuropsychology
September is Suicide Prevention Month Watch Wellstar’s medical director of population health, Dr. Chirag Patel, speak with WSB-TV about suicide prevention and the COVID-19 pandemic. 3
PROGRAM Welcome
Candice Saunders, President & CEO, Wellstar Health System Julie Teer, Senior Vice President & Wellstar Foundation President
Keynote Speaker
Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, Executive Medical Director of Behavioral Health, Sharecare; Director of Research and Innovation, the Mindfulness Center at Brown University; New York Times best-selling author of Unwinding Anxiety
Panel Discussion
Avril Beckford, MD, Chief Pediatric Officer, Wellstar Health System Ryan Breshears, PhD, Chief Behavioral Health Officer, Wellstar Health System; Director of Psychology and Psychiatry, Wellstar Medical Group Jud Brewer, MD, PhD, Executive Medical Director of Behavioral Health, ShareCare; Director of Research and Innovation, the Mindfulness Center at Brown University
Closing Remarks
Julie Teer, Senior Vice President, Wellstar Health System; President, Wellstar Foundation
Breakout Sessions
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Building strong community
Developing an integrated
Establish an optimal system.
networks.
approach to behavioral
We will explore ways to
health for pediatric patients.
connect patients and families to the resources they need; leverage partnerships to improve behavioral health; and equip providers with training, education and tools to effectively respond to behavioral health needs and prevent crises. Facilitator: Shara Wesley, PhD, Assistant Vice President of Community Health and Wellstar Center for Health Equity at Wellstar Health System
We will identify ways to fill existing gaps in care,
We will discuss the positive
leveraging best practices
impact of quickly determining
that prioritize prevention and
the patient’s care needs and
recovery to appropriately
identify ways to better partner
support patients of all ages
with the patient to develop
with the right care and
the right treatment plan and
resources throughout the
support the patient with the
continuum of behavioral
right resources for sustained
health care.
recovery and healing. Facilitator: Facilitator:
Trish Velasco, Assistant Vice
Janna Williams-Pitts, PhD,
President of Behavioral Health
Psychologist at Wellstar Health
at Wellstar Health System
System
Wellstar Foundation | Healthcare INNOVATION SERIES
SPEAKERS | Featured Speakers Avril Beckford, MD Chief Pediatric Officer, Wellstar Health System Dr. Avril Beckford is a well-known pediatrician practicing in Atlanta and is past president of the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and prior District X (Southeast USA) member of the National Nominating Committee of the Academy of Pediatrics. She is currently the chief pediatric officer of Wellstar Health System and is a member of the Wellstar Board of Trustees and Wellstar Medical Group Executive Board. Beckford has served on a number of other volunteer Boards, including that of The Lovett School, The National Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education, Camp Kudzu (a camp for children with juvenile diabetes) and the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta 1998 Society Board, and she serves as chair of the Cobb Area Pediatric Society. As a member of the Board of the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, she has also served as the chairperson of the Section on Families and Professionalism and as chair of the Georgia Chapter AAP Foundation Board. She served on the board for SafePath Advocacy Center, as well as the Boy Scouts of America and the Youth Protection Seminar that is held annually. Beckford is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society and has held a teaching position at Penn State University Children’s Hospital. Beckford is the author of the parenting book Allow Your Children to Fail if You Want Them to Succeed, as well as the children’s books I Love You 65 Bulldozers and The Tooth Fairy. Beckford was awarded the Hospital Hero Award from the Georgia Hospital Association in 2016. She founded the Pediatric and Adolescent Center of Cobb with offices in Vinings and Austell and joined Wellstar in 1995.
Ryan Breshears, PhD Chief Behavioral Health Officer, Wellstar Health System; Director of Psychology and Psychiatry, Wellstar Medical Group Dr. Ryan Breshears is a board-certified clinical health psychologist, the Chief Behavioral Health Officer for Wellstar Health System, and the Director of Psychology and Psychiatry for the Wellstar Medical Group. He earned his doctorate from the University of Georgia and completed a clinical psychology internship/residency at the Denver VA Medical Center and a fellowship at the VISN 19 Mental Illness Research at the Education Clinical Center in Denver. With a specialization in psychological assessment and testing, Dr. Breshears conducts psychological evaluations and provides treatment for patients with complex neurological and other medical conditions.
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SPEAKERS | Featured Speakers Judson Brewer, MD, PhD Executive Medical Director of Behavioral Health, Sharecare; Director of Research and Innovation, the Mindfulness Center at Brown University; New York Times best-selling author of Unwinding Anxiety Dr. Jud Brewer is a New York Times best-selling author, neuroscientist, addiction psychiatrist, and thought leader in the field of habit change. He is the Director of Research and Innovation at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center, where he also serves as an associate professor. He is the executive medical director at Sharecare Inc. and a research affiliate at MIT. Dr. Jud has developed and tested novel mindfulness programs for habit change, including treatments for smoking, emotional eating and anxiety. His new book is called “Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind”
Candice Saunders President and CEO, WellStar Health System Candace Saunders began her career as a critical care nurse and joined Wellstar as Chief Operating Officer of Kennestone Hospital in May 2007. As a result of her experience and strong leadership, she was promoted to executive vice president and COO of Wellstar Health System in 2013, and, in 2015, she assumed the role of president and CEO. Under her leadership, Wellstar has been recognized as a leader in safety and quality measures, and as a great place to work. Saunders serves on the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees and as chair of AHA’s Regional Policy Board for Region 4. She was recognized in Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Women Leaders and has been honored as a Woman of Distinction by Atlanta magazine, a Healthcare Champion by the National Association of Female Executives and a recipient of the W. Daniel Baker Leadership Award by the Georgia Hospital Association, among many other recognitions. Saunders has a master’s degrees from the University of Alabama-Birmingham in business administration and health services administration and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of South Florida.
Wellstar Foundation | Healthcare INNOVATION SERIES
SPEAKERS | Featured Speakers Julie Teer Senior Vice President, Wellstar Health System; President, Wellstar Foundation Julie Teer joined Wellstar in 2020 to oversee the health system’s philanthropic strategy and partnerships, focusing on elevating efforts to secure vital resources for the not-for-profit Wellstar Health System. She serves as the lead strategist responsible for enhancing Wellstar’s philanthropic community engagement and charitable efforts and is a key member of the system’s leadership team. Julie has more than 20 years of experience in fundraising and public affairs, most recently serving as the chief development and public affairs officer of the Boys & Girls Club of America. In 2018, Teer was appointed to the President’s Council for Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, where she developed a national strategy to increase youth participation in sports. She also received the 2020 Innovation in Lobbying and Advocacy award from the Public Affairs Council. Julie earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
COMING SOON Healthcare Innovation Series 4: Women’s Health & Pediatrics December 7, 2021
Georgia has some of the nation’s highest rates of maternal mortality and low infant birth weights of which Black, Brown, LatinX and rural communities are at greatest risk. Additionally, Georgia ranks among the top five states with the highest human trafficking rates in the U.S. Given the impact of persistent racial, ethnic and geographic disparities, Georgia communities and the providers who care for them must collaborate to develop a multi-faceted approach spanning both the healthcare and community settings. This series explores clinical best practices and training, as well as strategies to increase community awareness, education, health literacy and integrated support services.
LET’S CONNECT Thank you for joining us. We look forward to continuing the conversation with you. To contact the Wellstar Foundation, please reach out to your regional development officer or contact us directly at: give@wellstar.org
770-956-GIVE (4483)
wellstar.org/foundation
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Wellstar Foundation
Healthcare
INNOVATION SERIES Behavioral Health & Wellness
Wellstar Foundation | Healthcare INNOVATION SERIES