Ohio’s hospitals and health systems play a vital role in the state’s behavioral health system. Providing physical and mental health treatment, crisis services, and advanced treatment across multiple care settings, hospitals and health systems provide a patient-centered approach at all stages of life.

Policy Priorities

OHA’s Behavioral Health Committee, composed of member CEOs and behavioral health leadership, has developed a set of priorities for Ohio’s hospitals and health systems to help improve the behavioral health system for all patients. These priorities include:

• Building closer connections with local behavioral health partners
• Advancing the integration of physical and behavioral health at Ohio’s hospitals and health systems
• Promoting increased access to appropriate levels of treatment
• Educating members on behavioral health policies and opportunities

Behavioral Health Services in Ohio’s Hospitals 

• In 2023, 1.5 million patients with a primary or secondary behavioral health diagnosis had 3.4 million encounters at Ohio’s hospitals. This represents 9% of total hospital encounters and does not include all encounters outside of the hospital, such as in a primary care setting.
• Over 68% of these encounters were on an outpatient basis, 17% in an emergency room, and 15% in an inpatient bed.
• Medicaid makes up the largest percentage of these encounters (35%) followed by commercial-insured patients (32%).
• Anxiety and depression make up 52% of patient primary or secondary behavioral health diagnoses.

HAP Quality Measure Collaborative*

OHA’s HAP Quality Measure Collaborative provides a forum for OHA’s member hospitals and health systems to share best practices and resources to promote 7- and 30-day follow-up for patients recently discharged from a hospital for mental illness. All Collaborative materials can be accessed by logging in above with your OHA credentials.

Behavioral Health Outreach Toolkit*

Connecting with other behavioral health partners may help identify opportunities to promote better access to treatment, better coordination between providers, and better understanding of the work that we all do in serving patients with behavioral health needs. To assist in building these connections, OHA has compiled an Outreach Toolkit which can be accessed by logging in above with your OHA credentials.

*This member-only content can be accessed by logging in above with your OHA credentials.