Expanding the Child Psychiatry Fellowship

Dr. Cecilia DeVargasRegion 15 RHP Meeting

El Paso First Healthplan, 1145 Westmoreland Drive July 24, 2013

1:00pm

Description of the Project

SynopsisIncrease the capacity to provide Child & Adolescent

Psychiatry Services and increase the availability of providers to better accommodate the demand in the El Paso Region.

Department Involved: Texas Tech Department of Psychiatry

Milestones DY2:• Expand the training program – hire fellow(s)• Participate in Bi-Weekly Interactions to promote Collaborative

Learning• Increase Clinic Volumes – patient encounters

Benefits to the Community

Behavioral health is in a state of crisis in our region. Most of Texas is designated as a Health Professions Shortage Area (HPSA) for mental health; however, the ratio of child psychiatrists to population in our region is less than 20% of the statewide average.

Progress• Milestones:

o Expand training program – hire fellow(s) 100%

o Participate in Bi-Weekly Interactions to promote Collaborative Learning 80%

o Increase Clinic Volumes – patient encounters 50%

• Risk Areas:

• Anticipated outcomes:o Milestones will be met

Innovations• Improvements to processes:

o Educated team on CQI/Rapid Cycle Improvemento Formulated Action Plan

Child and Adolescent Fellowship

• Cecilia DeVargas, M.D. – Program Director• Octavio Gutierrez, M.D. – Assistant Program Director• Leonora Petty, M.D. – Associate Professor• Juan Zavala, M.D. – Assistant Professor• Mercedes Ramirez, M.D. – Assistant Professor• Rebecca Pasillas, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor• Amelia Leony-Carrete, LCSW – Faculty Associate

Rotation Sites• El Paso Children’s Hospital• Emergence Health Network• Ysleta Independent School District• El Paso Psychiatric Center• Juvenile Justice Center• EPCGC (El Paso Child Guidance Center) If

grant approved in September 2013

Clinical Services• Consultation Liaison at EPCH and outpatient Pediatrics

Department• Outpatient and Inpatient

— Psychiatric Assessments/Crisis Stabilization— Medication Management and monitoring— Psychotherapy

• Psychotherapy modalities— Family Therapy— Child and Adolescents individual therapy— Group therapy

Baseline Encounters2012-2013

Unique Patients

Encounters

Inpatient Units – EPPC Child/ Adol (CAD)

62 128

Consultation Liaison:El Paso Children’s Hospital

419 620

Outpatient Clinics:Children

364 1037

EHN 14 14

Goals• To increase number of Faculty members• To increase number of non-salary Faculty affiliations• To search for other sources of income (Grants and Contracts)• To expand services to the community• To increase research and scholastic activities in the area of

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry• To increase collaboration between primary care and psychiatric

services

Challenges• Small number of Core Faculty/Faculty turnover• Financial constraints• Reporting accuracy• IT Software barriers• Community needs

Milestones1. Hire new Fellow 100%2. Bi-weekly meetings 100%3. Increase clinic volume 50%

Questions?

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