WASHINGTON and DUBLIN, Ohio, Sept. 10,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In observance of today's World
Suicide Prevention Day, Children's Hospital Association (CHA),
Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH), and Zero Suicide Institute (ZSI)
celebrate early success of the Preventing Youth Suicide
Collaborative, a collaborative funded by the Cardinal Health
Foundation, led by CHA, and informed by ZSI's prevention
expertise.
Since 2022, 30 children's hospitals have focused on early
detection and intervention, sharing innovative strategies and
comprehensive approaches to suicide prevention. A 2020 pilot that
included nine children's hospitals and funded by Cardinal Health
Foundation informed the current effort. Early findings show almost
320,000 children and youth have been screened, and 15% need mental
health support and services.
To help expand the impact of the collaborative, ZSI developed a
Zero Suicide Toolkit for Children's Hospitals based on its work. It
represents a significant step forward in pediatric suicide
prevention, with implementation strategies and resources
specifically for children and youth, ensuring that hospitals have
the necessary tools to effectively address suicide risk and deliver
timely care.
"We are deeply committed to investing in initiatives that help
reduce stigma, raise awareness and increase access to mental health
resources and services," said Jessie Cannon, President of the
Cardinal Health Foundation. "Our partnership with ZSI, CHA and
children's hospitals across the country acknowledges the unique
considerations of children and youth and provides the resources
healthcare providers need to support their efforts to reduce
pediatric suicide and improve children's mental well-being."
Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among 10- to
24-year-olds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). Suicide attempts, ideation and self-injury
accounting for 31% of behavioral health encounters in children's
hospitals' emergency departments last year, according to CHA's
Pediatric Health Information System®.
Matthew Cook, CHA's President and
CEO, said, "Suicide among children and adolescents is a public
health emergency that demands immediate action. All of us
– health care providers, lawmakers and communities – must work
together to provide early detection, better screening and timely
intervention to save young lives."
One of the collaborative's hospitals is Phoenix Children's,
which reaches children and families across Arizona. The health system screens for suicide
when a child visits for any reason, including a regular check-up or
a sports physical. Screening responses that reveal distress prompt
a same-day appointment with a mental health therapist to assure the
child's safety and determine next steps. As Phoenix Children's
Division Chief of Psychology and Hagenah Family Endowed Chair,
Carla Allan, PhD puts it, "We treat
thousands of children and teens every day in our hospitals and
clinics. These visits provide an important opportunity to check in
on their mental health and intervene when needed. Prevention is the
best antidote to suicide."
According to Chief Community Impact Officer Lynne Ashbeck at Valley Children's Healthcare in
central California, "If there is
one thing we have learned since the pandemic, it is that you cannot
separate physical health from mental health in caring for our kids.
The collaborative has provided our team with access to best
practices in suicide prevention and care, and the chance to take a
closer look at our own systems and processes, both internally and
with our community partners."
From Cohen Children's Medical
Center in New York, Chief Quality
Officer and VP of Quality and Safety, Anupama Subramony, MD, added, "Suicide awareness
is a profound commitment to safeguarding the mental health and
well-being of our youngest patients. Pediatric professionals hold
the vital role of recognizing early signs of distress and providing
compassionate intervention, ensuring that every child receives the
support and care they need to find hope and thrive."
Cook said, "The work of the Preventing Youth Suicide
Collaborative is setting a new standard in pediatric health care by
ensuring that children who experience mental health challenges are
identified early and receive the care they need. This is critical
work, but our children need more. We urge Congress to prioritize
the mental health of our nation's youth by passing two bipartisan
pieces of legislature: The EARLY Minds Act (H.R.7808), which
would give states greater flexibility to make resources available
for prevention and early intervention initiatives, and the Helping
Kids Cope Act (H.R.2412), which would help bolster the
pediatric mental health workforce and improve the availability of a
full continuum of mental health care for kids."
About the Children's Hospital Association
The Children's Hospital Association is the national voice of more
than 200 children's hospitals, advancing child health through
innovation in the quality, cost and delivery of care.
About Cardinal Health
Cardinal Health is a
distributor of pharmaceuticals, a global manufacturer and
distributor of medical and laboratory products, and a provider of
performance and data solutions for healthcare facilities. With more
than 50 years in business, operations in more than 30 countries and
approximately 48,000 employees globally, Cardinal Health is
essential to care. The Cardinal Health Foundation is a charitable
non-profit giving organization dedicated to advancing health
equity. Information about Cardinal Health and the Foundation is
available at cardinalhealth.com.
About Zero Suicide Institute
The foundational belief of Zero Suicide is that suicide deaths for
individuals under the care of health and behavioral health systems
are preventable. For systems dedicated to improving patient safety,
Zero Suicide presents an aspirational challenge and practical
framework for system-wide transformation toward safer suicide care.
The Institute is part of the EDC, or Education Development Center,
a global nonprofit that advances lasting solutions to improve
education, promote health, and expand economic
opportunity. With expertise in areas such as suicide
prevention, early childhood development and learning, and youth
workforce development, EDC collaborates with public and private
partners to create, deliver, and evaluate programs, services, and
products.
CONTACTS
CHA : Elleni Almandrez
Elleni.Almandrez@childrenshospitals.org
(202) 753-5364
Cardinal Health: Michelle Leitzy
Michelle.Leitzy@cardinalhealth.com
(614) 757-1282
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SOURCE Cardinal Health