ODESSA, Texas — Local physicians are seeing more patients coming into emergency rooms but now they're calling for more support.
"As an emergency physician we see anyone, anywhere [and] anytime for anything," said Dr. Sudip Bose, emergency physician and medical director at Odessa Fire Rescue and health care advisor for the United States Congress.
Dr. Bose has seen more and more patients seeking mental health help.
"Specifically for this area, Medical Center Hospital Emergency Department in the year 2022 saw 1,023 psychiatric patients," said Dr. Bose.
With more patients coming in to seek psychiatric help, doctors said its starting to impact care for other patients.
"The psychiatric patients require more physicians, nurse and hospital resources than other patients in this diminishing out ability to evaluate and treat other medical patients who are waiting emergency care services," said Dr. Bose.
Over at PermiaCare, they're also seeing an influx in calls pertaining to mental health.
"I think we’re not reaching everybody we could be reaching. Assessments of last year we ran approximately 2500 calls, face to face assessment in Midland and Odessa [and] 22% of those calls were children and adolescents," said Todd Luzadder, chief operating officer at PermiaCare.
Which is why local physicians are calling on more support for those dealing with mental health issues.
"For years, state support for mental health resources has been on a decline and services for psychiatric patients in the U.S. are simply inadequate and as a result of this diminishing support, psychiatric patients are more and more often turning to emergency departments for their acute care needs," Dr. Bose said. "Loved ones and people who care for these patients. Family, friends [and] neighbors can do a lot to help prevent a hospitalization whether it’s social support or just reaching out your hand and support."
According to Dr. Bose, it take three times as long to find an inpatient bed for a psychiatric patient rather than a medical one.