Oceans Healthcare, Massachusetts General Hospital Collaborate to Improve Access to High-Quality Behavioral Health Services

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Jun 12, 2020, 11:12 ET

PLANO, Texas and BOSTON, June 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Oceans Healthcare and the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry have signed an agreement that will give patients of the behavioral health network access to some of the world's most highly qualified psychiatrists.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues and the nation undertakes evolving isolation practices, behavioral health providers are called to think creatively about how individuals continue to seek and receive treatment.

"Seeking mental health care, and ensuring those who are already in treatment continue, is critical during times of uncertainty," said Stuart Archer, CEO of Oceans Healthcare. "Our organization is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with clinical professionals of this caliber. We're fortunate to have passionate behavioral health leaders at our facilities but they, and our communities, need more support. We're excited at the chance to further expand our efforts to bring life-saving mental health treatment to individuals most in need."

The agreement provides Oceans' patients, clinicians and hospital leaders direct access to psychiatrists trained at Mass General and Harvard Medical School via Mass General's TeleHealth phone and video conferencing service. This allows Oceans' teams to broaden access to much-needed behavioral health treatment for patients who live in underserved rural communities that lack this type of care.

"Everyone deserves access to high-quality behavioral health treatment, regardless of where they live," said Dr. David Rubin, Executive Director, Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy. "This collaboration will help our dedicated physicians provide critical support and recovery to so many underserved individuals in need, well beyond the physical walls of our academic medical center."

Oceans' network includes 29 treatment locations across the Southeast, where shortages of mental health professionals can be particularly acute. Between 79% to 93% of counties in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas face a shortage of mental health professionals.

Because Oceans Healthcare provides specialized services for adolescents and older adults, telehealth support addresses access issues for those populations in rural areas and for those who could benefit from nontraditional counseling.

"Ocean's Healthcare strives to provide patients with the highest quality care by working with the best local psychiatrists," Archer said. "To provide expert consultation and anticipate some of the future mental health needs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, adding the services of Massachusetts General Hospital will enhance our overall ability to provide the best care possible in the communities we serve. For nearly three decades Massachusetts has been ranked in the top three psychiatry programs in the country and we are honored to be able to partner with them to provide this high-quality care to our patients."

At Massachusetts General Hospital, The Department of Psychiatry is ranked No. 1 by U.S. News & World Report. Massachusetts General Hospital Visiting, a program overseen by the MGH Psychiatry Academy, is aimed at helping underserved and understaffed health care facilities around the country meet the mental health care needs of their patients.

Massachusetts General Hospital Visiting is a one-of-a-kind program that matches faculty and fellows from Mass General with individual health care facilities to provide clinical support, interim leadership assistance and consultation on clinical and financial matters. The goal of the Visiting program is to reduce the risks and disparities in patient outcomes associated with physician shortages, educational opportunities and quality leadership in health care systems.

This unique program offers hospitals and health care systems access to experts in the field and can help mitigate physician shortages to meet expanding patient demand. Since Mass General is internationally recognized for its excellence in clinical care, training and research, staff are uniquely suited to address mental health care disparities and implement best practices to eliminate these gaps.

As part of the Visiting program, physicians and psychologists trained at Mass General and Harvard Medical School work closely with each health care organization to develop a plan to meet their individual needs and challenges.

ABOUT OCEANS HEALTHCARE
Oceans Healthcare is a growing behavioral health provider focused on healing and long-term recovery. Founded in 2004, Oceans provides inpatient and outpatient treatment to individuals 18 and older, with a special focus on the unique physical and emotional needs of older adults. Oceans Healthcare's network includes 18 hospitals and 29 treatment locations across the Southeast. The company consistently achieves industry-leading performance metrics on national quality and safety measurements, as determined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and The Joint Commission and was recently named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in America for the fourth consecutive year. For more information, visit www.oceanshealthcare.com.

ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The Mass General Research Institute conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the nation with annual research operations of more than $1 billion and comprises more than 9,500 researchers working across more than 30 institutes, centers and departments. In August 2019, Mass General was named #2 in the U.S. News & World Report list of "America's Best Hospitals."

Media Contact: Kristy Lucero, Lovell Communications, [email protected]

SOURCE Oceans Healthcare