NY Health System to Expand Virtual Access to Behavioral Healthcare

In order to expand outreach, Albany, New York-based St. Peter’s Health Partners has joined forces with aptihealth to provide their employees and patients with virtual-first access to behavioral healthcare.

SPHP is a non-profit integrated healthcare network with over 170 locations. The organization has over 11,000 employees providing care for more than 1 million residents of the Greater Capital Region in New York.

Aptihealth launched in 2018, is a virtual care provider that focuses on supplying accessible behavioral health services.

"Aptihealth puts the patient at the center of everything we do. Our platform makes it easy for people to access care at any time, connecting them to a care team with innovative digital tools that allow them to deliver precise, personalized care in a timely and efficient manner," said Dan Pickett, CEO of aptihealth, in the news release.

In the last several years, there has been a rise in the need for behavioral health services among those affiliated with SPHP, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the news release.

Per the new partnership with aptihealth, SPHP's employees and patients will gain access to behavioral healthcare through referrals provided at discharge from emergency departments or inpatient units, and through online sign-up.

Those using aptihealth's services are first asked to take a comprehensive online self-assessment. The results will then connect them to a provider who specializes in what they need.

Providers will develop a customized care plan for the patient that is focused on personal goals. The services provided include teletherapy, medication management, and messaging with a therapist.

 "Taking care of these healthcare providers who are taking care of the community is crucial, so this relationship with aptihealth comes at a perfect time. This program provides our colleagues with a necessary, easily accessible resource to address their psychological and emotional well-being during these extremely difficult times,” said Steven Hanks, MD, chief operating officer and chief clinical officer for St. Peter's Health Partners, in the news release.

Various collaborations have aimed to enhance behavioral health services through telehealth.

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the American Medical Association’s Behavioral Health Integration Collaborative brought together various associations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry to help physicians use telehealth to advance behavioral care delivery.

More recently, a report from the American Medical Association explained how digital tools can be used to enhance behavioral health integration (BHI). This can be done by integrating digital health solutions into standard workflows to increase behavioral health diagnoses and implementing care coordination technologies.