Dr. Jeff Louie

I think, you know, so we have mental health assessors at the University of Minnesota, which they're very good at what they do. But, you know, when you talk to them, Especially in the beginning, you'd have only a few assessors to try to evaluate 10, 15 kids. And they can't work 24-7 because they're getting burnt out too. And where our facility is at is on the West Bank.

I think, you know, so we have mental health assessors at the University of Minnesota, which they're very good at what they do. But, you know, when you talk to them, Especially in the beginning, you'd have only a few assessors to try to evaluate 10, 15 kids. And they can't work 24-7 because they're getting burnt out too. And where our facility is at is on the West Bank.

They not only assess the adults, but they assess the kids. So the adult side has a plethora of mental health people too because they're dealing with their influx. You remember that in the beginning of when our emergency department opened up, we used to just walk the mental health kids straight across to the West Bank because they have all the specialty folks over there.

They not only assess the adults, but they assess the kids. So the adult side has a plethora of mental health people too because they're dealing with their influx. You remember that in the beginning of when our emergency department opened up, we used to just walk the mental health kids straight across to the West Bank because they have all the specialty folks over there.

But now they're so full that my unit, my emergency department had to flex and manage these mental health kids. And it's for the safety of the kids because now we're seeing kids as young as five or six years old who are aggressive. And the parents don't feel safe with these kids at home.

But now they're so full that my unit, my emergency department had to flex and manage these mental health kids. And it's for the safety of the kids because now we're seeing kids as young as five or six years old who are aggressive. And the parents don't feel safe with these kids at home.

And you can't put a five-year-old on the adult mental health, you know, and the West Bank ED is just not safe for those kids over there. So we tend to take kids 12 and younger. And then if the adult ED is too full, then we'll see older kids up to 18 with mental health stuff.

And you can't put a five-year-old on the adult mental health, you know, and the West Bank ED is just not safe for those kids over there. So we tend to take kids 12 and younger. And then if the adult ED is too full, then we'll see older kids up to 18 with mental health stuff.

What's the average amount of time? So in the beginning of the surge of mental health, and we're talking just pure mental health, it was anywhere between three to seven days. And we may have five to seven kids in the emergency department boarding. And over the two years or so, we've developed more processes to move these kids out of my ED and move them to the West Bank or to get them...

What's the average amount of time? So in the beginning of the surge of mental health, and we're talking just pure mental health, it was anywhere between three to seven days. And we may have five to seven kids in the emergency department boarding. And over the two years or so, we've developed more processes to move these kids out of my ED and move them to the West Bank or to get them...

And again, our assessors are very good at what they do. Once they deem a child that needs to be an inpatient unit, they will work with our inpatient mental health unit on the West Bank, as well as talk to the other mental health facilities in the state.

And again, our assessors are very good at what they do. Once they deem a child that needs to be an inpatient unit, they will work with our inpatient mental health unit on the West Bank, as well as talk to the other mental health facilities in the state.

That is a great question. There are emergency medicine physicians who are duly trained. They are emergency medicine and psychiatric trained, but those are far and few between and they tend to be the adult doctors. There are very few pediatric emergency medicine physicians who are duly trained in psychiatry. I only know one. And it's not you, right? And it's not me, and he's in Rhode Island.

That is a great question. There are emergency medicine physicians who are duly trained. They are emergency medicine and psychiatric trained, but those are far and few between and they tend to be the adult doctors. There are very few pediatric emergency medicine physicians who are duly trained in psychiatry. I only know one. And it's not you, right? And it's not me, and he's in Rhode Island.

So I don't think that Peds, emergency medicine docs are ever going to be to a level of comfort to start treatment of mental health in our emergency department. And matter of fact, we probably don't even want to do that because mental health is a whole new subject that, you know, we get trained in medical school. Like I said, in fellowship, very little training fellowship.

So I don't think that Peds, emergency medicine docs are ever going to be to a level of comfort to start treatment of mental health in our emergency department. And matter of fact, we probably don't even want to do that because mental health is a whole new subject that, you know, we get trained in medical school. Like I said, in fellowship, very little training fellowship.

And so we literally would start from scratch and that's, that would not be safe for the patients.

And so we literally would start from scratch and that's, that would not be safe for the patients.

Great question. So What we've decided to do in my unit is obviously need to balance the safety of my medical patients, our patients with chronic trauma, as well as the safety of the mental health borders, as well as the residential borders. And my emergency department is small. It only has 12 beds.

Great question. So What we've decided to do in my unit is obviously need to balance the safety of my medical patients, our patients with chronic trauma, as well as the safety of the mental health borders, as well as the residential borders. And my emergency department is small. It only has 12 beds.