Stuart L. Archer, FACHE, is president and CEO of Oceans Healthcare, a behavioral health system with inpatient hospitals and outpatient programs across the country. Archer took the helm of Oceans over a decade ago, solidifying its positions as a sought-after model for quality improvement, innovation and purpose-driven growth. The organization is one of very few to implement a full-scale electronic medical records system. Oceans is a trusted provider among academic medical centers and acute care systems, partnering with national leaders to create access and build a more efficient care continuum. The system in January expanded its footprint into five new states with the acquisition of Haven Behavioral Healthcare.
Most recently, Archer spearheaded the formation of the Texas Association of Behavioral Health Systems—a group of like-minded providers in the state fighting for patients’ rights, access to care, appropriate coverage and provider reimbursement. Prior to leading Oceans Healthcare, Archer served as COO of Lifecare Hospitals and senior vice president of operations for the LHC Group Inc.
He earned an MBA from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern State University.
Joint ventures between acute care hospitals and behavioral health providers are quickly becoming a sought-after solution. What’s driving the need for these partnerships?
Improving access to behavioral health care is complex and requires many solutions. Well before the pandemic, our nation was facing a crisis. Poor reimbursement and budget cuts were driving psychiatric hospital closures and a decrease in behavioral health beds at acute care facilities. The challenges persist with steady or increasing behavioral health problems and a system with less capacity than ever. This means acute care hospitals are the front door for many individuals managing a mental health crisis. Hospitals are not the best setting for long-term recovery and can become an unnecessary delay for many patients who could benefit from inpatient or intensive outpatient care from a dedicated behavioral health provider.
How is Oceans Healthcare partnering with acute care organizations, and how are those collaborations beneficial?
Oceans Healthcare’s has a successful track record of partnering with nonprofit and academic medical centers to expand access in a way that improves the health of the community and better manages the high costs associated with this vulnerable patient population. Across the industry, this has become a sought-after model as acute care hospital and health systems seek out highly specialized behavioral health systems to provide the type of care and service management they do best. This often takes the form of joint ventures that develop new stand-alone facilities or dedicated hospital units that ultimately increase inpatient bed capacity, decrease ED use, expand access to inpatient and outpatient behavioral health and substance use disorder services, and provide essential mental health services that exceed national quality metrics.
What should CEOs of both types of organizations be aware of when partnering?
We’ve found that the right partners are committed to outcomes and quality, regardless of the specific service line. We also find the most successful partnerships are built on the understanding that behavioral health patients deserve the same resources, care and attention as any other patient and that these services should be prioritized alongside traditional medical services. As a partner, we also understand the importance of a health system’s internal culture and external brand recognition and have built our model around leveraging those key components.
What else can healthcare organizations do to meet the increasing demand for behavioral health services?
The long-term solution is improving access and providing a broader array of quality services. Right now, our industry is also facing unknown federal actions and state budget challenges, adding uncertainty as we work to meet increasing demand.
Joint ventures are proving successful, but there are four things we must also so:
- Fight for coverage parity.
- Look for creative funding and workforce solutions to encourage more early-career clinicians and much-needed psychiatrists into the field.
- Embrace the shift to outpatient care and treating patients where they want to be treated.
- Make our voices heard with lawmakers in state houses and capitals across the country.
How does ACHE help healthcare CEOs address issues with providing behavioral health services and care?
It’s vital that today’s leaders understand the spectrum of influential factors impacting an organization’s ability to deliver care. By bringing together some of the industry’s sharpest thinkers, top talent and like-minded leaders, ACHE can share a broader perspective on topics CEOs and other executives might not encounter during their average, day-to-day business.