Diamond Healthcare - Behavioral Healthcare Management

Psychiatric Telemedicine: Access Eases Problems

BY: ROBERT N. CUYLER, PH.D.
An explosion of technological innovation in medicine is bringing advances to healthcare unimaginable decades ago. Access to healthcare, however, remains a pressing problem, particularly in the availability of specialized services in the rural areas of the US. View full article

AHA report notes behavioral-health need

Acknowledging that all hospitals treat patients with behavioral-health disorders, the American Hospital Association has issued a list of recommendations to help general, acute-care healthcare providers meet the growing demand for these services. In its report, Behavioral Health Challenges in the General Hospital: Practical Help for Hospital Leaders
the AHA said just 1,349 of 4,919 community general hospitals—or about 27%—have an organized, inpatient psychiatric unit, and that emergency rooms make hospitals the "safety net" or "provider of last resort" for behavioral healthcare.
The AHA offered 16 recommendations to hospitals for providing care in the areas of community-needs assessment, behavioral-health planning, community collaboration, adequate financing, employer practices and advocacy.

Among its suggestions, the AHA said hospital leaders should encourage and participate in developing a communitywide or regional plan for persons with behavioral-health disorders and coordinate community agencies that address behavioral health needs; they should create a formal plan that defines the hospital’s role and establishes relationships for behavioral health with other providers, practitioners and governmental and community agencies; and hospital leaders should communicate to the public and private payers the costs required to care for behavioral health patients, especially those with chronic and severe conditions, as well as the costs to society of not treating those patients. -- by Jessica Zigmond

REACH Moves Corporate Headquarters & National Call Center

Reach EAP and Workplace Solutions (REACH) is pleased to announce our recent move to new Corporate Headquarters effective September 1, 2007. The new headquarters also houses our National Call Center. REACH's Corporate Headquarters and National Call Center are located at:

REACH EAP & Workplace Solutions
Tanglewood Executive Park
5327 Fallowater Lane
Roanoke, Virginia 24014

For more information, call REACH at 1-800-950-3434 or go to www.reach-eap.com. Reach EAP and Workplace Solutions is a service of Diamond Consulting Corporation, a subsidiary of Diamond Healthcare Corporation.

Diamond Healthcare Corporation Proud NRHA Gold Sponsor

Gold Level NRHA Preferred Business Sponsor

Diamond Healthcare Corporation is proud to announce its status as a Gold Level Preferred Business Sponsor of the National Rural Health Association (NRHA).

With over twenty-two years experience in behavioral healthcare, Diamond recognizes the distinct challenges of rural-based behavioral healthcare and understands the demands of serving diverse patient populations, meeting compliance and regulatory requirements, managing recruitment services, and operating billing and reimbursement systems.

From regional medical centers to critical assess hospitals, Diamond works with a variety of providers to develop and operate psychiatric and/or chemical dependency treatment services based on the highest principles of quality-based medical care. Diamond is deeply committed to serving the behavioral healthcare needs of rural America. For information about NRHA, go to http://www.nrharural.org.

Diamond Moves Corporate Headquarters

Diamond Healthcare Corporation is pleased to announce our move to new corporate headquarters, effective April 2, 2007. Diamond’s corporate office is now located on the 15th floor of the Federal Reserve Bank Building in downtown Richmond, Virginia. The new office provides a facility large enough to house all of Diamond’s Eastern Division and corporate staff, and provides flexibility to grow in the future.

"We are excited about relocating our corporate office to the Federal Reserve Bank Building," said George K. White. "Although we are just a mile away from our previous office, the expanded facilities will better meet Diamond’s office needs, conferencing space, client requirements, and overall workplace environment."

Diamond wishes to welcome you to our new Richmond headquarters. As we continue to advance our services and expand our clientele, we look forward to growing with you.

Please be advised that effective April 2, 2007, all Diamond Healthcare Corporation correspondence should be sent to:

U.S. Post Service

Diamond Healthcare Corporation
Federal Reserve Bank Building
Post Office Box 85050
Richmond, VA 23261

Deliveries (Fed Ex, UPS)

Diamond Healthcare Corporation
Federal Reserve Bank Building
701 East Byrd Street, 15th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219

If you should have any questions, please call Diamond Healthcare Corporation. Our phone numbers will remain the same: (804) 649-9340 (office); 804-782-2286 (fax); and toll-free at (800) 443-9346.

Diamond Offers Up-to-Date IPFPPS Resources

Diamond’s Consulting Practices Group is immediately available to assist with the transition to the prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient psychiatry facilities Rate Year 2007 changes. From offering labor market areas, payment rates, diagnosis-related groups, and outlier fixed-loss threshold amount resources, providing detailed assessment and analysis services to compliance training, addressing physician certification and recertification requirements, co-morbidity ICD-9 codes services, and other IPFPPS resources, Diamond’s team of experts provide a wide range of the most up-to-date PPS resources. For more information about IPFPPS changes and Diamond’s PPS Assessment Resources, please contact Paul Altovilla, Vice President, at Diamond Healthcare Corporation, via email to paltovilla@diamondhealth.com or by calling (800) 443-9346

DHC’s JCAHO Patient Safety Resources

Diamond offers up-to-date patient safety resources and training for behavioral healthcare providers seeking assistance with the new 2007 JCAHO patient safety goals. Diamond is immediately available to assist hospitals preparing to meet the 2007 JCAHO policy and procedures, as well as providers addressing current Joint Commission requirements and preparation for JCAHO accreditation. Diamond is firmly committed to helping hospitals strengthen patient safety and regulatory compliance needs for behavioral healthcare services. For more information, contact Sharon Dajon, Senior Vice President/CCO, at Diamond Healthcare Corporation, via email to sdajon@diamondhealth.com or by calling (800) 443-9346.

3/31/2008