Dr. Jeff Louie

And there has not been a process yet because of lack of mental health professionals who actually could come down, who have time to come down to the emergency department. Because our mental health folks right now are in the inpatient units trying to take care of those folks to get them out of the inpatient units.

And there has not been a process yet because of lack of mental health professionals who actually could come down, who have time to come down to the emergency department. Because our mental health folks right now are in the inpatient units trying to take care of those folks to get them out of the inpatient units.

So we do have, mHealth do have senior administrators who are working with DHS, Department of Human Services, I guess. These talks have been going on for several years. And there are several theories of why it isn't working as well as it should. One, obviously, is there aren't enough specialized group homes to take care of these kids because it closed down. They haven't opened them up again.

So we do have, mHealth do have senior administrators who are working with DHS, Department of Human Services, I guess. These talks have been going on for several years. And there are several theories of why it isn't working as well as it should. One, obviously, is there aren't enough specialized group homes to take care of these kids because it closed down. They haven't opened them up again.

And two, one theory is, and I'm just going to say this, is that DHS says, well, at least they're in the emergency department and they're safe. Yeah. And that, you know, and to me, yes, they are safe, but we are in the emergency department are incurring costs. Yeah. So there was a paper, and I'll have to send this to you guys, I apologize for not even thinking about it.

And two, one theory is, and I'm just going to say this, is that DHS says, well, at least they're in the emergency department and they're safe. Yeah. And that, you know, and to me, yes, they are safe, but we are in the emergency department are incurring costs. Yeah. So there was a paper, and I'll have to send this to you guys, I apologize for not even thinking about it.

There was a publication in New England Journal of Medicine, it was a commentary manuscript, and they basically did cost analysis for specifically pediatric mental health boarders. And they found out that it costs about $227 an hour to board these kids in our emergency department. So if you have a kid from my residential kids, $227 an hour times three months, right?

There was a publication in New England Journal of Medicine, it was a commentary manuscript, and they basically did cost analysis for specifically pediatric mental health boarders. And they found out that it costs about $227 an hour to board these kids in our emergency department. So if you have a kid from my residential kids, $227 an hour times three months, right?

We're just losing so much money that we'll never recoup, you know?

We're just losing so much money that we'll never recoup, you know?

Right, right. It's the lack of care from... in my opinion, our lack of wanting to care more from the government. Because if they were to give us grants, we can afford to have therapists in our ED to help manage these kids. And maybe these kids get to go home. Or now they're more suitable to go to a residential placement. Clarence.

Right, right. It's the lack of care from... in my opinion, our lack of wanting to care more from the government. Because if they were to give us grants, we can afford to have therapists in our ED to help manage these kids. And maybe these kids get to go home. Or now they're more suitable to go to a residential placement. Clarence.

Is that something that would be useful with this crisis? I think that's a great point. But once they're in the emergency department, again, the folks that would do the coping and the therapy are in the inpatient units taking care of those kids. And so I am unaware that there are therapists who are available to do telehealth for the kids in the emergency department.

Is that something that would be useful with this crisis? I think that's a great point. But once they're in the emergency department, again, the folks that would do the coping and the therapy are in the inpatient units taking care of those kids. And so I am unaware that there are therapists who are available to do telehealth for the kids in the emergency department.

And that certainly has not started in our unit. Maybe it has started in other units, but I find that doubtful because someone would have to pay the therapist to do these consults and continually manage these kids. It's one thing to get a therapist once a week, but it might be a different therapist. And that just adds to confusion.

And that certainly has not started in our unit. Maybe it has started in other units, but I find that doubtful because someone would have to pay the therapist to do these consults and continually manage these kids. It's one thing to get a therapist once a week, but it might be a different therapist. And that just adds to confusion.

I mean, is it just, And the insurance companies certainly are not helping. So the way I understand it, if you drop off a child for mental health, let's just say mental health issues, radiation, and they are deemed unsafe to go home, but it may take five days for them to be transferred to an inpatient unit.

I mean, is it just, And the insurance companies certainly are not helping. So the way I understand it, if you drop off a child for mental health, let's just say mental health issues, radiation, and they are deemed unsafe to go home, but it may take five days for them to be transferred to an inpatient unit.

As I understand it, and I'm pretty sure it's true, is that the bill for that particular patient is just that one encounter. It's not five days. Even though I'm taking care of them for five days, it's just a one encounter. So like two hours worth of... Whatever it is, yeah.

As I understand it, and I'm pretty sure it's true, is that the bill for that particular patient is just that one encounter. It's not five days. Even though I'm taking care of them for five days, it's just a one encounter. So like two hours worth of... Whatever it is, yeah.