“They treat you like crap in the ER,” Carl Edgell said. “When you’re in the psych ward, you’re at ease.”

Mr. Edgell has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Early this morning, I read about him in the Baltimore Sun.

The article described the impact of an on-line registry of psychiatric beds in private hospitals.  The purpose: emergency room staff can find an available and appropriate bed far sooner.

However, not all hospitals are participating.  According to the article, some are concerned that their participation would create a new burden for staffers and help federal regulators spot patient placement violations.

When I got to my office, I made a bill drafting request: Make hospitals’ participation in the on-line registry program mandatory as of January 1, 2014.

I then sent an email to the interested parties: the committee chair, the Secretary of Health, hospital lobbyists, and mental health advocates.

I hope to get all of these people around a table – the witness table at the bill hearing or in a private setting beforehand, to discuss how best to provide better access to appropriate care for the mentally ill.

 

The initial Sun article is at:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/maryland-health/bs-md-psychiatric-registry-20130218,0,6436400.story

Follow-up article is at:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-psych-registry-legislation-20130219,0,558876.story