A New Way to Move Mental Health Patients

Imagine this: instead of using an ambulance, some hospitals are using tricked-out SUVs to transport mental health patients. South Shore Hospital and Lowell General Hospital are leading the way with this innovative solution. Why is this a big deal? Because traditional ambulances can be tied up for hours, leaving other patients in need of urgent care without a ride. What’s the situation like right now? Well, sometimes there’s no available ambulance, and even when there is, it can be out of service for more than two hours. Think about a patient who needs to go from South Shore Hospital to a psychiatric hospital in Devens – that’s a 55-mile trip that can take over an hour, even without traffic. Adam Delmolino, who works with the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, says that on any given day, there are between 20 to 60 patients statewide waiting for a ride. This includes mental health patients who might have to travel far as beds open up across the state. If they can’t get there, that bed might go to someone else. David Matteodo, from the Massachusetts Association of Behavioral Health Systems, explains that it can take anywhere from three to eight hours to get a patient from one hospital to another. That’s a lot of waiting time for someone who needs care. To fix this issue, South Shore Hospital introduced a specially designed Chevy Tahoe in January. This SUV can transport mental health patients securely and comfortably. Since mid-January to October, this Tahoe has traveled over 60, 000 miles, helping 750 patients! Dr. William Tollefson, from South Shore Health, says it’s a more dignified way to transport patients compared to tying them down on an ambulance stretcher. Plus, it frees up ambulances for other local emergencies.

Lowell General Hospital has a similar program that started in 2023, transporting 429 mental health patients in an SUV with a plexiglass divider and medical staff. These programs can potentially be expanded to other hospitals, but there are a couple of important things needed: statewide standards and insurance reimbursement. Right now, insurers pay for non-emergency transportation in an ambulance or a taxi service, but these specialized SUVs don’t fit easily into those categories. There are no state standards for licensing or insurance coverage for these vehicles. Both hospitals are covering the costs themselves and setting their own standards. Standardizing these programs would ensure safety for both patients and staff. It could also open up the possibility of insurance reimbursement, making it financially viable for other hospitals and ambulance companies to adopt this model. While Massachusetts is ahead of many states – some still use law enforcement to transport mental health patients, which can be traumatizing – there’s still a staffing issue. Dennis Cataldo from the Massachusetts Ambulance Association says the real problem is not having enough staff, especially during peak discharge times in the afternoon. But if these specialized vehicles can help transport patients safely and free up beds and ambulances, it’s a win-win for everyone.

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