(2017-11-21) How To Get Mental Health Help Where There Are No Doctors

How to get mental health help where there are no doctors

the supply of psychiatrists is declining despite widespread need, resulting in patients not getting treatment in a timely manner.

55 percent of U.S. counties have no mental health clinicians

Regroup's mission is to fill that void by supplying credentialed and fully vetted clinicians—psychiatrists, social workers and advanced practice nurses—who can "see" patients via a secure video platform that's HIPAA-compliant. "Literally, the only difference is our clinicians are in two dimensions," Cohn says.

The for-profit company's customers are not the individuals themselves, but hospitals, primary care clinics, correctional institutions and community-based outpatient centers through which people access health care.

Revenue jumped from less than $500,000 last year to a projected $10 million-plus in annual recurring revenue by year-end. Regroup now employs 23 full-time staffers in its headquarters in Ravenswood on the North Side and serves nearly 50 health entities with a network of more than 3,000 clinicians. Roughly half of treatment hours are provided by clinicians who work full time for Regroup; the remainder are part-time contractors. Clinicians are paid $45 to $300 per hour. Full-timers also receive benefits

cites Regroup's easy-to-use video platform and system integration (EHR) as strengths in the telehealth (e-health) field.