Do you know BERT? No, not a new team member or a TV character; it's our Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT) at UVA Health University Medical Center!
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I want to highlight BERT — a specially-trained group of doctors, nurses, chaplains, security officers, and other team members who respond quickly to behavioral health crises across the hospital.
The BERT team is available 24/7 to support all inpatient units, including pediatrics. Their goal? Keep everyone, including patients and team members, safe. They do so by quickly assessing and caring for patients at risk of, or actively experiencing, behavioral crises during procedures, emergencies, or hospital stays. On average, this team is called into action 60 times each month, totaling around 700 assists a year.
Behavioral health needs can arise in any unit, at any time. And as mental health care needs have grown across the country, BERT’s role has only become more essential. Whether a patient is in crisis during a procedure or hospital stay, this team is there to assess, support, and de-escalate. Their presence helps prevent harm and bring calm to tense situations. For more than 20 years, they have been growing and evolving to make a difference at the medical center.
Just as we treat physical health emergencies, BERT treats behavioral health crises with urgency and expertise. Team members can dial in a BERT like they would any other medical emergency to speak with an operator who will assess rapidly and page BERT, or reroute if another response is needed.
In today’s healthcare environment, where behavioral emergencies and patient aggression situations are growing concerns, BERT’s role continues to evolve. Their latest work emphasizes reducing violence and caregiver injuries by providing training tools, identifying risks earlier, and intervening before situations escalate. The post-BERT huddle is another way the team learns from each response to help prevent repeat behavioral emergencies.
Joanna Yost, PhD, ABPP, director of BERT, let me know the team welcomes feedback. You can email her directly to offer suggestions or schedule time to connect. This openness to improvement makes the team even stronger.
Keeping patients and team members safe while treating individuals in crisis with care and dignity is no light work. It takes exceptional integrity and respect. We are proud to support BERT and all who champion patient safety at the medical center. This includes continually seeking new improvements and adopting the latest and best practices to provide more proactive, compassionate care.
Thank you to every member of BERT for your steady presence, fast action, and heart for collaboration. You play an important role in care quality, safety, and outcomes for all patients — along with the safety and security of our team.
And thank you to the team member who suggested I feature BERT — I love the continued enthusiasm to get to know our team better! Share your suggestions with me through the Be Heard Suggestion Box.
Take care and be well,
Wendy