EMPATH psychiatric crisis center reports 4,000 visits in 10 months and large drop in ED behavioral-health use

Mark Woods, chief nursing officer for UK HealthCare’s Eastern State Hospital EMPATH program, and Dr. Jasinski, chief administrative officer, told the Social Services and Public Safety Committee on June 3 that the EMPATH facility provides low‑barrier psychiatric crisis assessment and treatment and has significantly reduced emergency-department use for behavioral-health crises.

Woods said EMPATH opened July 30 of the prior year as the first EMPATH center in Kentucky and that it has expanded from 12 to 16 chairs with plans to reach 24. EMPATH accepts walk-ins and provides in-person psychiatric evaluation within 30 minutes (often within 10 minutes), starts treatment and stabilizes patients for up to 23 hours. Peer-support specialists and on-site providers operate 24/7, and the center provides transportation to follow-up appointments and residential treatment when needed.

Program outcomes and data Woods reported that in roughly 10 months EMPATH has seen more than 4,000 patients. The average stay is about 16 hours; approximately 60–65% of visits are for suicidal crises. The presenters said 75–80% of patients are stabilized without hospital admission and that only about 7% of EMPATH visits result in transfer to Eastern State Hospital for inpatient care. Pre-EMPATH, about 29% of patients leaving the hospital made a follow-up appointment; EMPATH now achieves about 65% follow-up, typically with NuVista within 24–48 hours.

Woods and colleagues told the committee EMPATH reduced behavioral-health emergency-department visits for its frequent users from an average of 5.5 visits per six months to about 0.4 visits per six months — a roughly 92% reduction for that cohort. The presenters said EMPATH has received visitors and interest from other jurisdictions, has treated patients from 28 states, and won the National EMPATH of the Year award.

Model, partnerships and capacity issues Speakers emphasized EMPATH’s low-barrier approach: it accepts patients without requiring ED medical clearance and treats people who are intoxicated, have intellectual or developmental disabilities, or hold involuntary holds when necessary. EMPATH uses an in-person provider model rather than telehealth for core clinical services, employs peer-support specialists and coordinates closely with fire/EMS, police and local treatment providers.

Committee members asked about capacity. Woods said the center has diverted or reached capacity about 10–12 times since opening and at times has handled up to 21 patients; staff are working to expand capacity and internal throughput so the facility does not have to turn people away. He said EMPATH shares its implementation manual and supports replication elsewhere.

Ending Committee members praised the model and asked staff to continue coordinating with local partners to ensure access, transportation and appropriate follow-up care. EMPATH leaders said they plan to add long‑acting injectable medications, implement a single‑session suicide intervention (CAMS), and expand capacity.