Submitted by PeaceHealth

The telepsychiatry program at PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center was recently featured in a case study for the March 2018 publication of the American Hospital Association’s Members in Action.

The telepsychiatry program is a service of PeaceHealth Peace Island that offers weekly psychiatric services to residents living in the remote setting of San Juan Island. A collaboration with the University of Washington Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic, PeaceHealth Peace Island’s primary care clinic and telepsychiatry coordinator, the program provides comprehensive care and improved patient access. “Partnering with a psychiatry department that has a deep bench has been very important in terms of ensuring that providers are available to our patients,” says Merry-Anne Keane, chief administrative officer with PeaceHealth Peace Island.

These services would not otherwise be available on island, forcing residents to endure a long ferry ride to the mainland with additional travel north or south for a scheduled appointment. According to Keane, access to psychiatric services has improved dramatically for San Juan Island residents and appointment wait times reduced from as many as eight months to seven days for an initial appointment.

Since that time, she estimates 200 patients per year seek consultations, with new patient visits comprising most appointments. “The impact on island residents has been tremendous,” states Keane.

The successful telehealth network began with a four-year grant awarded in 2012. PeaceHealth Peace Island also provides teleoncology and telegenetics programs. It hopes to expand services to include telepalliative care and telehospitalist programs in the future.