Inova Telepsychiatry Program
Inova Telepsychiatry Program provides real-time collaboration between Inova emergency departments and Inova Behavioral Health Services.
Emergency medicine clinicians remotely connect with psychiatric liaisons for faster access and proper treatment protocols to help improve patient outcomes. The behavioral health team is led by executive director Shirley Repta, RN, PhD, MBA, and staffed by psychiatry liaisons.
Benefits to patients
- Faster access to a psychiatric specialist
- Less time spent in the emergency department
- Fewer transfers among healthcare facilities
Benefits to healthcare providers
- 24/7 real-time access to psychiatry liaisons
- ED psychiatry consultations
- Decreased LOS in the ED
How the program works
When a patient presents to the ED with psychiatric symptoms:
- The emergency medicine physician reviews patient’s status and determines need for psychiatric evaluation
- The mobile cart (or other technology) is moved to the patient’s bedside
- The patient, EM physician and remote psychiatry liaison begin a real-time consult
- The EM staff consult with the psychiatry liaison to expeditiously determine treatment, admission or transfer decisions
Contact us
Please email for more information about Inova Telepsychiatry Program:
Shirley Repta
Executive Director
Inova Behavioral Health Services
shirley.repta@inova.org
