August 8, 2024 - Lindsey Jasinski and Marc Woods (Eastern State Hospital EmPATH Unit)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 8, 2024) – On July 30, UK HealthCare opened a new emergency unit dedicated to the treatment of patients experiencing a mental health crisis. The unit, known as EmPATH (Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing), is the first EmPATH unit in Kentucky.  Pioneered by internationally known emergency psychiatry expert Scott Zeller, M.D., only about 30 EmPATH units currently exist in the U.S. Rather than going to a traditional emergency room, where patients seeking care for a behavioral health issue may be waiting for hours in a stressful environment before being evaluated, EmPATH units were created to provide immediate support for patients in a carefully designed, calming environment. UK HealthCare and New Vista have collaborated with leadership from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to bring this new, evidence-based model of emergency behavioral health care to Kentucky. In this episode of "Behind the Blue," Eastern State Hospital Chief Administrative Officer Lindsey Jasinski and Chief Nursing Officer Marc Woods explain why the EmPATH model is so effective, how psychiatric treatment has evolved over the years, and how Eastern State Hospital has been a leader in psychiatric care for more than two centuries. "Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of "Behind the Blue" each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.  For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email [email protected] or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page.  To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.