AHA podcasts explore rural hospital mental health services

In recognition of National Rural Health Day on Nov. 17, the American Hospital Association released two podcasts on how rural hospitals have expanded behavioral health services. The first podcast features John Supplitt, senior director of rural health services, AHA, and Jordan Steiger, senior program manager, AHA clinical affairs and workforce, discussing the prevalence of mental health issues in rural communities. Will Cook, president and CEO of Vail Health in Colorado, explains how his hospital helped to stem a surge of suicides in Eagle River Valley, Colo. The second podcast describes how a critical access hospital in Newland, N.C., obtained an unprecedented Medicare waiver to become a regional behavioral health hospital to expand inpatient capacity for community psychiatric services. AHA offered additional resources to mark National Rural Health Day.