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Pathways and United Health Foundation Launch Partnership to Improve Mental Health Care In Eastern KentuckyPathways, Inc., and the United Health Foundation announced a three-year, $930,000 grant to expand mental health services for children in eastern Kentucky using telehealth technology. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181108005867/en/ The United Health Foundation awarded Pathways, Inc., a three-year, $930,000 grant to implement telehealth technology capabilities that will provide improved access to mental health services for more than 3,000 children in eastern Kentucky. At today's grant announcement were Dr. Kim McClanahan, CEO, Pathways; Anne Yau, vice president of external affairs, United Health Foundation; Adam Meier, secretary, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services: State Sen. Robin L. Webb: Dr. Doug Newton, national senior medical director, Optum Behavioral Health: and State Rep. Danny Bentley (Photo: Ashley Gallaher Quinn). The project will enable Pathways to provide better access to specialty mental health care for the more than 3,000 children it serves across a 10-county service area. Pathways will install and operate the telehealth technology at its 16 outpatient offices and specialty residential units in the region to connect children to child and adolescent psychiatrists, eliminating the need for families to drive as long as two hours to access a child's mental health specialist. Pathways and the United Health Foundation were joined today by Kentucky Health and Faily Services Cabinet Secretary Adam Meier in making the announcement. "With the United Health Foundation as our partner, we will be able to provide life-changing services for children and families who need specialized mental health care," said Dr. Kimberly McClanahan, Chief Executive Officer of Pathways. "We will also be able to address the shortage of mental health care providers in rural Kentucky through our new telehealth technology." According to America's Health Rankings, Kentucky has seen a 25 percent increase in teen suicides since 2016. The grant will enable Pathways to increase the number of children served by child and adolescent psychiatrists by 30 percent by 2021. "We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Pathways to ensure children in Kentucky have access to mental health services," said Tracy Malone, president of the United Health Foundation. "By leveraging digital tools to expand access to child psychiatrists for people in rural areas, this partnership is helping more Kentuckians get access to the critical health care services they need when they need it most."
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