Second Annual Meeting of Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) Teams in Cleveland

On July 23 and 24, ten Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) teams convened in Cleveland for their second annual meeting, consisting of 36 attendees, staff, and presenters. Teams from the Chickasaw Nation (Oklahoma), Delaware, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Ohio, and Vermont participated. The event emphasized the importance of meaningful measurement and engaged participants through guided quality improvement activities and group discussions.

Day 1: Panel Discussion and Measurement Strategies

The meeting commenced with a diverse panel discussion featuring emergency care providers: Kim Burkhart, PhD, Ann Dietrich, MD, Dina Dornack, MSN, RN, Stephanie Edwards, LPCC-S, Mary Gabriel, MD, Tim Lee, MD, Angela Nguyen, LCSW, Kate Remick, MD, and Brian Zack, MD. This panel of experts shared insights on how PMHCAs can engage with different providers to establish connections with emergency departments (ED) and related entities, such as schools and EMS.

Following the panel, Kate Remick, MD, delivered a presentation on meaningful measurement and how to effectively demonstrate the impact of a PMHCA program. She emphasized that meaningful measurement isn’t just about gathering data; it's about clearly defining the goals of the data we want to collect and using it to drive positive and lasting change. Each piece of data represents an opportunity to enhance a team’s approach and better serve those in need. Participants then collaborated in groups to identify strategies for measuring the impact of their ED expansion efforts. They also established actions to engage key collaborators across the emergency care continuum, as represented in the morning’s panel discussion.

Afternoon Sessions: Data Management and Affinity Diagramming

The afternoon featured a session on leveraging data management and tracking tools, presented by Charles G. Macias, MD, and Jennifer A. Hoffmann, MD. Subsequently, quality improvement (QI) coaches Jen Donathan, MPH, Dina Dornack, MSN, RN, and Anna Goldman, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, led an Affinity Diagramming group exercise. PMHCA teams broke into groups to identify key drivers for current or future ED interventions. They later presented and discussed these key drivers.

The day concluded with a presentation on North Carolina’s Statewide Telepsychiatry Program (NC-STeP) by Ryan Baker, MHA, and Crystal Kellam, MSW, LCSW, LCAS. They shared their successes and challenges in expanding their program into the ED space and engaged with PMHCA teams in a Q&A discussion.

Day 2: Engaging with Organizations and Disaster Response

The second day included two presentations on engaging with partner organizations during disasters. Merritt “Chip” Schreiber, PhD, led a conversation about current issues in disaster response from a national perspective. Rachael Alter, BS, presented on state partnerships and how PMHCAs can build relationships with them to partner during disaster scenarios. Disaster preparedness is a newer space for many PMHCA teams, however, they are in a great position to provide the necessary resources to their communities during times of distress, and the EIIC hopes to continue to explore the connection between the two.

Meeting Wrap-Up

The meeting concluded with a survey and distributing a quality improvement workbook for attendees to continue their work at home. Participants departed with new knowledge and tools to enhance their efforts to increase access to pediatric mental health care. Overall, the event was a success, fostering collaboration and equipping teams with practical strategies for improvement.

Learn more about the PMHCA program.