Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County Council Recognizes The Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center, Meharry Medical Group During Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Metro Council Commends Elam Mental Health Center’s Dedication to Improving Community Mental Health 

Nashville, TN – On Tuesday, September 17, the Metro Nashville and Davidson County Council officially recognized September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and honored The Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center with a resolution acknowledging its critical role in enhancing mental health and suicide prevention efforts within the community. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one person dies by suicide every 11.7 minutes. 

Sara Evans, Clinical Director of the Elam Mental Health Center, accepted the resolution on behalf of the center. Evans expressed gratitude, stating, “Today’s recognition helps to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicidality, and it highlights the importance of community involvement in suicide prevention. We urge all Davidson County residents to familiarize themselves with the Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center and reach out if they or someone they know is in need.” 

Established in 1971, The Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center, located at 2000 Albion Street in Nashville, provides essential mental health services, including initial assessments and ongoing care for mental health and substance use disorders, to the residents of Metro Nashville, Davidson County, and the state of Tennessee. 

The Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center

Ten Metro Council Members sponsored the resolution, including District 2 Council Member Kyonzté Toombs.  

“The Metropolitan County Council further goes on record as proclaiming the efforts of The Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center, Meharry Medical Group, and Meharry Medical College for their dedication to improving the mental health of individuals and families by working to prevent suicide in our community. We are calling upon all residents, government agencies, organizations, and businesses to join in this effort to raise awareness of Suicide Prevention and promote mental well-being for all,” she said. 

In 2022, the Metro Public Health Department reported 115 Metro Nashville residents died by suicide, the highest number seen in the last five years in Davidson County. 

The Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center provides comprehensive care for individuals with various substance use disorders and drug addictions. Walk-ins and indigent patients without insurance are welcome. 

To learn more about Elam Mental Health Center, call (615) 327-6256 or visit Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center

Providing Behavioral Health Support for Older Adults

The American Hospital Association’s Advancing Health podcast talks with Dana Gould, CEO of Broaddus Hospital and Donetta McVicker, program director of the hospitals Senior Life Solutions program, about supporting the mental health of older adults. About 22% of the West Virginia community that Broaddus Hospital serves are age 65 and over. Gould said behavioral health is one of the community’s greatest needs.

45 healthcare executives share their most effective projects of the year

Becker’s asked C-suite executives from hospitals and health systems across the U.S. to share their organization’s areas of growth for the next few years. 

The 45 executives featured in this article are all speaking at the Becker’s Healthcare 12th Annual CEO+CFO Roundtable on Nov. 11-14, 2024 at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago.

Stephanie Weatherly, Chief Clinical Officer of Psychiatric Medical Care (Brentwood, Tenn.): Psychiatric Medical Care provides behavioral health services to hospitals and health systems across the country, including a hospital-based, outpatient program for older adults called Senior Life Solutions. This past year, we created an outcomes measurement application that allows us to see patient and program outcomes at the press of a button. While we’ve measured patient improvement through evidence-based testing for the last 10 years, this new data application helps us make macro and micro changes to enhance the patient experience through enhanced reporting and graphing or the outcomes data.

We share this information with other members of the patient’s care team, such as their primary care provider. When behavioral health providers can easily show an accurate snapshot of a patient’s progress in a way that can be understood by all members of the care team, the patient wins!