medical complexity unit – Go Retire Psychiatrist

I guess I’m incorrigible; there are now 4 eggs in the robins’ nest. Progress there reminded me of another kind of progress–in integrated health care.

On that note, this is just a brief update on the Medical-Psychiatry Unit (MPU). I thought it would be a good time to do this since a hard-working Pennsylvania psychiatrist notified me of the very successful Medical Complexity Unit (MCU) in operation at Reading Hospital. See my post from May 23, 2019.

I co-attended on our MPU for 17 years before I chose to concentrate on the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (CLP) service. The health insurance payer system challenges have probably not changed much. I still believe that the MPU is a great place to teach trainees to appreciate the rewards and challenges of caring for patients with complex, comorbid psychiatric and medical issues.

I hope the video makes the case for that. I decided it didn’t need a voice over. I welcome any comments and questions.

I received exciting news from Dr. Kolin Good, M.D., a colleague in Reading, Pennsylvania. There is a thriving Medical-Psychiatry Unit (MPU) at Reading Hospital. Dr. Good consulted with The University of Iowa several years ago on how to get it started, since we have a 15 bed MPU.

They call it the Medical Complexity Unit (MCU) and the highlights of her message are:

“We now have 19 beds.

Nursing 1:4 ratio.

Staffing is 1 internist ( hospitalist) and 1 psychiatrist ( me) with a psychiatric social worker and physician’s assistant.

We have a LOS that is the same as other units of the hospital.

We have decreased 1:1’s throughout our entire hospital ( > 650 beds ).

We are a favorite rotation for training.

Most important: we provide excellent care for complex patients.”

Congratulations are in order!

Reading Hospital is also looking for a Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrist (although not to staff the MCU).

A former teacher of mine and a major mover and shaker in the integrated care effort is Dr. Roger Kathol, MD, the leader of Cartesian Solutions, Inc. Check his web site by googling the name. The credit goes to him, Dr. Good, and the rest of the Reading Hospital staff who made the MCU a reality.