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General Assistance Medical Care Weekly Report
Each week, dozens of GAMC patients having a behavioral health crisis are admitted to Regions Hospital emergency department. Many of them are there because they do not have access to medications.
Regions Hospital is a co-founder of an award winning program that provides psychiatric medications to low-income patients. The Mental Health Drug Assistance Program prevents psychiatric crises that lead to emergency hospitalization and incarcerations which cost an average of $12,000-15,000 compared to the average cost of $165 for a psychiatric prescription.
This weeks report features a GAMC patient with a mental health condition.
GAMC care for week of June 22, 2009
Total GAMC patient visits [1]
Emergency Room
Inpatient
Same Day Surgery
Outpatient [2]
Patients with mental health conditions
Reimbursement that will be lost
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234
80
30
5
119
37
$346,277
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Since funding was cut (May)
1,438
$2 million
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Story of the week: Mark, age 34 [3]
Mark has struggled with bipolar disorder for more than 10 years. When his illness is under control, he's able to work and go to school. In the past two years however, hes been hospitalized multiple times when symptoms of his illness became extreme. During that time, GAMC has covered Marks treatment. But without GAMC, he would not have access to psychiatric care or the medications that allow him to function in the community. Today, Mark is back in school and no longer on GAMC.
[1] GAMC or in process of enrolling
[2] Outpatient visits include radiology, chemotherapy, chemical dependency, mental health and other diagnostic visits.
[3] Not patients real name or age
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