PAINESVILLE, Ohio, January XX, 2009 — Lake Health and the Lake County ADAMHS (Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services) Board have been selected by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) to host a national audio conference on February 5 that will focus on the hospital system’s successful expansion of mental health services at its emergency departments to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Like other hospital systems across the U.S., Lake Health has seen a steady increase in the number of patients with mental illnesses seeking treatment at its emergency departments, both day and night. To better meet the growing demand, Lake Health began offering around-the-clock mental health services in July 2008 through the support of a $630,000 grant from the Lake County ADAMHS Board.

The grant, the first of its kind in Ohio for on-site management of emergency mental health services, is enabling Lake Health to provide more effective care for individuals of all ages in need of emergency mental health services.

“The positive feedback we have received from patients, families, physicians and emergency department personnel has been extraordinary. We’re exceeding the benchmarks we established for ensuring that patients with mental health issues are tended to promptly, evaluated and either admitted or referred for treatment. We’re honored to be selected by JCAHO to share our best practices with other health care organizations, and ultimately help to improve emergency mental health services across the country,” said Josie Jones, director of Behavioral Medicine and Ambulatory Services for Lake Health.

JCAHO is an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. JCAHO regularly sponsors audio conferences to showcase health care organizations that are setting new quality standards and pioneering new models of health care delivery.

During the one-hour audio conference, Jones and Kim Fraser, executive director of the Lake County ADAMHS Board, will discuss the process by which Lake Health secured the grant to fund expansion of emergency mental health services, and the changes both organizations had to explore to make the program possible. Jones and Fraser will also present the goals of each of the organizations; discuss how they will measure success; and touch upon future plans for emergency mental health services in Lake County.

About The ADAMHS Board

Established by Ohio statute, the ADAMHS (Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services) Board is responsible for planning, funding, and evaluating Lake County’s mental health and recovery services. Board members — eighteen Lake County residents who serve without compensation — include medical professionals, mental health and recovery experts, consumers (people who need and use services), relatives of consumers, community leaders and business professionals. The resulting blend of expertise and perspectives makes the ADAMHS Board uniquely qualified to handle these important issues effectively and efficiently. For information about the services provided through the ADAMHS Board and its network of local providers, visit www.HelpThatWorks.us .