Healing Together: Lifestyle Medicine Group Visits Help Patients Manage Chronic Disease
Providers at Mass General are taking steps to make care more effective, empowering and even enjoyable for patients.
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News5 Minute ReadJan | 21 | 2022
The past two years have brought with them heightened feelings of confusion, uncertainty and loneliness for many people. Health care providers in particular are experiencing more physical and emotional exhaustion than ever before, and the demand for behavioral health services continues to increase.
“Having someone to help support and manage those kinds of feelings is important,” said Allison Lilly, LICSW, CEAP, director of the Mass General Brigham Employee Assistance Program (EAP). “There’s been a lot of isolation during COVID, so it’s nice to have someone empathetic to engage with.”
Since the start of the pandemic, the annual number of requests to the EAP for behavioral health referrals has increased by nearly 30%. And while this data feels daunting, it’s a sign that those who need help are reaching out to get it. By requesting a referral through the EAP and working with their counselors, people can better understand what their goals and needs should be as they consider treatment options.
“If traditional therapy works best for someone, we’ll help them understand what a good fit in a behavioral health specialist would be,” Lilly said. Lilly hopes more employees will be open to virtual options as the wait time for in-person care grows. Virtual care also takes time to schedule, but it offers much more appointment availability and flexibility.
“There are also additional virtual well-being resources for our employees like SilverCloud and Headspace that sometimes fit people’s needs best.”
Wait time and care platform aside, the EAP is committed to getting employees the care they need and the reassurance that they’re not alone.
“We are committed to support our employees until we can transition them appropriately to the care they need” Lilly said.
Learn more about how the EAP can help employees and their families access behavioral health care at eap.partners.org.
Providers at Mass General are taking steps to make care more effective, empowering and even enjoyable for patients.
Kim Whalen, RN, nursing director at Mass General for Children (MGfC), has worked at the MGH in various roles and departments since 1996.
Support for Education Across the Hospital
Mass General’s educational mission encompasses not only trainees and faculty, but also patients, scholars and the community.
The MGH Learning Laboratory was created in 2009 to integrate clinical simulation as a quality and safety tool across the MGH.
Opportunities to learn can be found in every corner of the hospital – from the MGH Learning Laboratory to the Paul S. Russell, MD Museum of Medical History and Innovation.