December 15, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Livingston HealthCare Now Offers Avel eCare Behavioral Health Services
Livingston HealthCare (LHC) has entered into a partnership with Avel eCare—a telemedicine provider that supports hospitals around the country—to receive virtual behavioral health services beginning early 2023. This new partnership grants 24/7, real-time access to a multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals based out of a centralized hub in Sioux Falls, S.D. via cutting-edge technology.
Behavioral health is the field of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of mental health, substance abuse and associated physical disorders.
"Nationwide, we continue to be faced with a behavioral health provider shortage. Telemedicine is an innovative solution by which LHC can support our providers and team members caring for this vulnerable patient population,” says Angela Linden, Interim CEO of Livingston HealthCare.
Once fully implemented, staff will have the ability to call Avel’s experts to seek out advice, take advantage of their experience, and embrace a collaborative approach to delivering care. This allows Livingston HealthCare to augment the local care team—consisting of a Psychiatrist, Clinical Psychologist, Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C) and Licensed Clinical Social Workers that support the Emergency Department, Medical Surgical Unit and Clinic—with access to resources to assist with complex behavioral health and crisis situations. Patients can be assured that eCare connections are always secure and confidential, and that the service comes at no additional cost to them.
“It is clear from the community health needs assessment that behavioral health access is a significant deficit in our community, as it is in so many other rural counties,” says Douglas Wadle, MD, Acute Care Service Line Chair at Livingston HealthCare. “It will be a huge benefit to offer as needed, on demand, mental health services that can be delivered right at the time of greatest need.”
Ever since it was first founded in 1993 to provide expanded specialty care access to rural areas, Avel eCare has gone on to develop one of the most robust telemedicine networks in the United States. Its team of doctors, nurses, clinicians and other medical professionals are all deeply committed to their mission of delivering high quality care to patients when and where it is needed, and currently serve more than 650 facilities across 32 states. In all, Avel has helped local care teams treat millions of patients.
“Avel eCare tele-psychiatry services will complement our own in-house behavioral health team by providing a 24/7 provider connection. Their experts can interview patients any time of day, make specific recommendations, and allow more of our patients to receive care close to home when they are in crisis,” says Raymond Wright, MD, Emergency Department Service Line Chair at Livingston HealthCare.
About Livingston HealthCare: Livingston HealthCare, in Livingston, Montana, is a not-for-profit, 25-bed critical access hospital with a Level 4 Community Trauma Facility, a multispecialty provider clinic, as well as rehabilitation, and home-based services. Livingston HealthCare is an affiliate of Billings Clinic. www.LivingstonHealthCare.org
CONTACT:
Lindsey Pennell, Marketing and Communications Manager
Lindsey.Pennell@livingstonhealthcare.org 406.823.6640