Page 11 - Mecklenburg_Medicine_April-2018
P. 11
At the Hospitals
n New Tool Offers Charlotte-Area made, information automatically is sent to the 4. Encourage appropriate professional
user and the selected agency to proactively help. Types of professionals include
Community Members the Ability to connect the user in need. primary care physicians, psychiatrists,
social workers, counselors and certified
Search Available Free or Reduced- For more information and to search peer specialists. Types of professional help
available programs, visit the Community include talk therapies, medication and other
Cost Social Services Resource Hub at CarolinasHealthCare.org/ professional supports.
CommunityResourceHub.
Atrium Health has launched its 5. Encourage self-help and other support
Community Resource Hub, which is serving n Mental Health Emergencies Happen — strategies. People with mental illness can
as a search, referral and application tool to support their own recovery and wellness
help the Charlotte community locate free Learn How to Help through exercise, relaxation, meditation,
or reduced-cost social service programs. participating in peer support groups and
With this new tool, Atrium Health aims to Millions of people each year take a CPR or using self-help books.
extend care outside of doctors’ offices and first aid class to learn how to recognize and
provide better access to services that reduce care for a variety of medical emergencies. If you or someone you know is
healthcare barriers. But what about someone experiencing a experiencing a mental illness or substance
mental health emergency? use disorder, call the Behavioral Health
The Community Resource Hub connects Help Line at 704-444-2400 or 800-418-
Atrium Health providers, social workers That’s where Mental Health First 2065 for 24/7 crisis assistance or text
and individuals in the Charlotte area to Aid (MHFA) comes in, educating our CONNECT to 741741.
organizations that offer key social services, community on how to reach out and help
including legal assistance, transportation, those around us who may be struggling n Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute
housing and food. It allows users to choose with suicide, mental illness or a substance
from thousands of available resources anyone use disorder. Performs First-in-World Stent
can access — local and national.
MHFA is a free, eight-hour course that Implantation
The Community Resource Hub quickly teaches how to identify, understand and
populates facilities and programs that meet respond to signs of addictions and mental Atrium Health Sanger Heart & Vascular
individualized needs to help users make illness — from the beginning stages all the Institute’s clinical team has enrolled and
more informed decisions without needing way through crises. treated the first patient in the investigational
to search multiple websites. Individuals device exemption study for a venous self-
may search the hub on their own and can As part of a national effort, Atrium expanding stent system.
easily navigate the platform by category Health has been offering free MHFA
or keyword to identify programs that meet training to individuals and groups across the Erin Murphy, MD, FACS, director of
their needs. For example, users can select community for three years and has trained Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute’s venous
“transportation” to see available programs more than 10,000 people. Interested? and lymphatic program, and Gregory
that provide transportation to schools or Anyone can sign-up for a course, just email Stanley, MD, FACS, vascular surgery
hospitals, or those that help pay for transit MHFA@CarolinasHealthCare.org or call fellowship director, performed the venous
depending on their need. Users also may 704-631-1028. procedure on the first patient in the world
narrow results by eligibility criteria, such in December 2017 at Atrium Health’s
as income, age or family size. Once a Wondering how you can help someone Carolinas Medical Center. The patient,
program has been selected, the Community in need? who has nonthrombotic iliac vein lesion
Resource Hub provides the next steps to (NIVL), is doing well post-treatment.
take, as well as a detailed description of MHFA follows a five-step action plan The implantation is part of a multicenter
the program, hours of operation, location called ALGEE to help those who may international trial, with Murphy leading
details and contact information. be dealing with suicide, mental illness or clinical research efforts as the lead
substance use disorders. Here are the steps: principal investigator for the ABRE IDE
For the launch of the Community Resource trial in the United States.
Hub, Atrium Health initially is partnering 1. Assess for risk of suicide or harm. Some
with 15 Charlotte-area organizations, warning signs include threatening to hurt or “Deep venous obstruction impacts more
allowing partners and providers to refer kill oneself, seeking access to means to hurt than 27 million people worldwide and can
users to facilities and programs that meet or kill oneself, talking or writing about death result in limited mobility and poor quality
individualized needs. Once a referral is and feeling hopeless. of life,” says Dr. Murphy. “By investigating
a new form of iliac vein stenting, we are
2. Listen nonjudgmentally. MHFA teaches committed to exploring the latest treatment
you to use verbal and nonverbal skills such options for patients.”
as open body posture, comfortable eye
contact and other strategies to take part in Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute teams
appropriate conversation. perform more than 2,500 vascular procedures
annually, with comprehensive vein treatment
3. Give reassurance and information. MHFA for a variety of vein complications.
provides information and resources you can
offer to someone to offer emotional support and
practical help.
Mecklenburg Medicine • April 2018 | 11
