Minnesota’s first EmPATH reduces hospital admissions for people experiencing mental health crises

Our new emergency mental health care model – the first of its kind in Minnesota and one of only a few in the country – opened in March 2021 at M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital.

Data from the first year shows that it has reduced inpatient admission for people with mental health symptoms by 60 percent. 

Mental health is a significant – and growing – concern in the United States. Nationwide, one in eight emergency department visits involve a mental health or substance use disorder. Last year alone, M Health Fairview saw a 12-percent increase in patients coming to our emergency departments for mental health care. While emergency departments provide vital and necessary care, their bustling environments may not feel calming to a person experiencing a mental health crisis.

EmPATH – or Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment, and Healing – is different. It’s an innovative approach to emergency mental health care, designed to guide people safely through a current crisis while building skills that will support them through future challenges.

“Everything from the space design to the evidence-based techniques our providers use puts our patients first,” said Lewis Zeidner, PhD, M Health Fairview's system director, clinical triage and transition services. “We’re moving emergency mental health care in an innovative direction, and we’re proud to be the first in Minnesota to embrace this new model.”