Recent research shows about half of people who die by suicide had contact with a healthcare professional within a month prior to their death. However, a recent study shows only 8% of hospitals are currently implementing all four recommended suicide prevention practices: safety planning, warm handoffs to outpatient care, patient follow-up, and lethal means counseling.
Melissa Tolstyka with Trinity Hospital in Ann Arbor says a seamless transition from inpatient to outpatient care is critical. At Ann Arbor, she saw a 46% increase in compliance with comprehensive suicide risk assessments, and patients discharged on the suicide care pathway now receive a safety plan, which she sees as progress.
“We continue to see a need for really robust programming, and not just within the behavioral health world, but in the medical world as well,” Tolstyka said. “Our organization really wanted to focus on bringing the behavioral health and the medical services together to enhance our safer suicide care practices for our patients.”
The initiative is being piloted across various units at Trinity Hospitals in Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, including the emergency department.
If you or anyone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling or texting 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
