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Physician Leadership
When It Comes to Patient Care, Is
Needed to Expand Access
One Person Killing the Experience?
to Mental Health Services

For whatever reason, when traveling, I prefer to
According to the 2022 Mental Health America report, get the earliest flight possible. Departing Fort
Florida ranks 49th in the nation in access to care for Lauderdale at 6 a.m. can put you on the ground in
patients with mental illness. The significant impact of the Philadelphia by 8:15 a.m. This past Monday, that
COVID-19 pandemic has further strained resources and was the plan. Probably, like all the other passengers
highlighted the failings of our current health care system that morning, I was up at four and headed out to
to ensure access to those that need support. While the the airport to navigate what would hopefully be a
State of Florida has taken steps to focus resources and short TSA line. Minutes before boarding, the dread-
attention on this critically important matter, it is clear that ed announcement came. “Ladies and gentlemen,
more must be done. we are still waiting on one crew member. Once
Florida has been taking steps to build infrastructure to they arrive, we will begin boarding. Right now, we
expand access to mental health services. Following one of are looking at about a half hour delay.” Did this per-
the Grand Jury reports in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas son hit traffic? Not likely at this hour. Arriving late BY JAY JUFFRE
High School shooting in Parkland in 2018, Governor BY JOSE DAVID on an incoming flight? Doubtful as well.
DeSantis signed a bill into law creating the Florida SUAREZ, MD As other passengers moaned and speculated,
Commission on Mental Health and Substance Abuse. because of where I was seated, I had the inside scoop. “He probably slept in
The charge of the Commission is to “examine the current methods of providing again,” I heard the supervisor whisper to the gate agents. “We could be delayed
mental health and substance abuse services in the state and to improve the effective- for a while.” A half hour turned into an hour. At the one hour 20-minute mark,
ness of current practices, procedures, programs, and initiatives in providing such I overheard the supervisor tell the agents, “Now, he says he is too sick to come
services; identify any barriers or deficiencies in the delivery of such services; and rec- in. We are looking for a sub.” One hour turned into two. The tension and frus-
ommend changes to existing laws, rules, and policies necessary to implement the tration from the other passengers continued to grow.
Commission’s recommendations.” By the time they announced that anyone with connecting flights should start
While the Commission continues to consider recommendations for changes in the rebooking, I thought society was literally going to break down around me. Now,
laws and rules associated with access to treatment, there are a couple immediate steps far be it for me, to compare healthcare to air travel, but the same thing may be
that public officials can take to expand services for those in need. It is here where going on in our organizations every day. Often, we can do everything nearly per-
physicians really need to be engaged in discussions to encourage lawmakers to insti- fect, but one bad apple ends up ruining everything. We make excuses on why
tute meaningful change. the receptionist, nurse, janitor, or whomever, keeps hurting what would other-
There has been a significant increase in mental health services being rendered via wise be excellent patient care and experience. Who on your team is holding you
telehealth since the start of the pandemic. During the 2022 Florida Legislative back? Simply identify, retrain, or eliminate them. Your patients and their fami-
Session, lawmakers are considering several bills that would advance telehealth serv- lies will thank you.
ices in the State. One bill would add “Audio-Only” to the formal definition of
Telehealth in the Florida Statutes. This is an important step forward for the state given Jay Juffre is Executive Vice President, ImageFIRST. For more information on
the inability of many elderly residents and those in rural communities to access the ImageFIRST, call 1-800-932-7472 or visit www.imagefirst.com.
technology and broadband required to effectively executive formal telehealth visits.
For those with limited infrastructure or proficiency with technology, Audio-Only
services can truly be a lifeline.
Another bill would require insurance carriers to pay the same rate for telehealth
services as they would for a physician providing in-person care. This payment parity
legislation is in effect in a number of states nationally and is an important safeguard
for patients that have existing relationships with clinicians who are managing their
chronic conditions and mental health.
Another measure that could be taken immediately is requiring the Medicaid
Managed Care Companies to have sufficient mental health professionals in their net-
works. There have been several recent articles in South Florida highlighting this issue
that is facing patients in our community. Mental health services are a covered benefit
for Medicaid beneficiaries and if these reports are correct, some insurers are limiting
utilization of this benefit simply by having insufficient mental health professionals in
their network.
Your DCMA continues to advance pro-physician and pro-patient measures in our
community. The significant deficiency we have in access to mental care services for
patients demands our full attention. Your leadership is committed to continuing to
press for solutions as we prepare for the full impact of the pandemic on mental illness
to be revealed.

Dr. Jose David Suarez is President, Dade County Medical Association, Inc.

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South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com February 2022 9