A new national study from the University of Michigan Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center reveals a troubling reality facing emergency departments: Boarding times have reached their worst levels in recent history. Analyzing 46 million ED visits across all 50 states, the study found that more than 25% of admitted patients now wait four hours or longer for a hospital bed, and nearly 5% wait over 24 hours during peak months.
For patients in behavioral health crises, these delays are often even longer and more dangerous. ED boarding for behavioral health is not just an operational challenge — it’s a critical patient safety and care quality issue.
The Behavioral Health Boarding Problem
Behavioral health patients face unique barriers that contribute to extended ED stays:
- A national shortage of inpatient psychiatric beds
- Limited availability of on-site psychiatric specialists
- Complex evaluations and placement processes
- Increased safety and monitoring needs during boarding
The result: patients in crisis wait in crowded EDs instead of receiving timely psychiatric care, while ED capacity and staff are stretched thin.
How Access TeleCare’s TeleBehavioral Health Service Line Helps
- C – Consistent
Dependable psychiatric coverage hospitals can count on — no more staffing gaps or temporary fixes. From acute hospital emergency departments to freestanding psychiatric hospitals, Access TeleCare builds and sustains consistent staffing models, not just coverage, which support timely patient care, manageable local clinician workloads, and seamless care transitions.
- A – Anticipatory
Proactive, anticipatory preparation for future needs, changes, and growth in behavioral health demand and local provider availability. Access TeleCare’s staffing model can flex and shrink in response to any contingency in local provider availability or surge in patient demand. Have a psychiatrist retiring? Access TeleCare can provide a world-class provider and virtual care team to fill and scale to meet your program needs. The virtual model delivers consistent provider coverage, with built-in backup for emergencies, illness, or vacations, eliminating disruptions in patient care.
- R – Remarkable
Exceptional care from world-class, board-certified psychiatrists and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners who deliver evidence-based treatment in coordination with on-site providers. The most qualified providers are available and are not constrained by geography — ensuring high clinical quality and expertise as well as perspectives and best practices gleaned from working with health systems nationwide.
- E – Engaged
A true partnership that integrates into hospitals’ workflows, culture, and care teams for seamless collaboration. Our clinicians follow each partner hospital’s protocols, standards, compliance practices, and EMR documentation so that we are as embedded as possible. Additionally, our extensive support and client services teams are there to support your program, providing excellent service to you so together we can deliver the excellent care your patients deserve.
“Reducing ED boarding times is about more than efficiency — it’s about making sure patients receive the right care at the right time,” said Joshua DeTillio, chief executive officer of Access TeleCare. “Our teleBehavioral Health programs are strategically designed to give hospitals the psychiatric expertise they need on-demand, freeing up ED resources and improving the overall patient journey.”
Proven Impact on ED Throughput
With teleBehavioral health, hospitals can:
- Reduce average time-to-psychiatric-consult.
- Shorten ED length of stay for behavioral health cases.
- Improve patient flow and free up beds for other acute cases.
The result is faster, safer patient transitions — and less strain on already overburdened emergency departments.
“When patients in crisis wait hours or even days in the ED, their condition can deteriorate, and that’s something we can and must address,” said Michael Genovese, M.D., J.D., Chief Medical Officer, Behavioral Health at Access TeleCare. “By delivering rapid, expert psychiatric evaluation and treatment virtually, we not only reduce wait times but improve outcomes, safety, and dignity for patients in some of their most vulnerable moments.”
Ready to Reduce Boarding and Improve Care?
Access TeleCare’s teleBehavioral Health service line is built to help hospitals address behavioral health boarding head-on. Our programs integrate quickly, deliver measurable results, and ensure that patients in crisis receive the right care at the right time.
Learn more about reducing ED boarding with teleBehavioral health.
