ONEIDA — Oneida Health has been awarded a $150,000 grant, to be received over a three-year period, from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield to establish services to address mental health, substance abuse, or age-specific women’s behavioral health conditions of Oneida Health patients receiving care at its Women’s Health practice, Lullaby Center, or Emergency Department.

The grant is through the Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Member and Community Health Improvement (MACHI) grant program, which provides funding to local, non-profit organizations that share the Excellus vision for healthier communities, the insurance company stated, adding that these multi-year grants support initiatives with specific objectives and measurable outcomes for improving health.

“Providing access to high-quality health care is core to our mission as a nonprofit health plan,” said Eve Van de Wal, regional president of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

“We are excited to partner with Oneida Health to support this vital behavioral health
program that addresses the needs of our region by increasing access to mental health and substance use services,” Van de Wal added.

The new Women’s Care Coordination Program at Oneida Health is primarily designed to bridge the gap between patients and access to mental health and substance abuse treatment services through a care-coordinated model. With a single point of contact, Oneida Health said patients will now be able to receive coordinated care to a range of community resources and services that are available for women, including but not limited to mental health and substance abuse counseling, bereavement support, transportation, domestic violence advocacy, care management, and other community services that promote overall health and wellness.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the mental and behavioral health crisis we are facing in our communities,” said Oneida Health President and CEO Jonathan Schiller. “The need for coordinated behavioral health services has never been greater and represents a significant clinical health improvement priority for our medical staff and clinical team. Through the support provided by Excellus BCBS, we will be able to connect a critical network of services and resources that already exist within our communities to improve the outcomes and lives of our patients.”

With this program in place, Oneida Health said it aims to increase depression screenings for maternity and gynecological patients by 70% and to reduce return ED visits of those presenting with behavioral and mental health conditions by 17%. Achievement of these initiatives will drive early detection and treatment of behavioral health conditions and reduction in unnecessary return visits to the ED which may result in long-term hospitalization and more comprehensive care, according to Oneida Health.

“We thank Excellus BCBS for their shared vision in addressing opportunities to improve the overall health of our communities,” said Schiller. “This program would not be possible without their support.”

For more information about Oneida Health, please visit oneidahealth.org.