Emplify Health by Gundersen is a leader in behavioral healthcare in western Wisconsin, and it is excited to further that commitment as it prepares to introduce a new addition its mental health offerings.
Today, Emplify Health by Gundersen is pleased to announce its intention to create an EmPATH unit within its existing Behavioral Health Department on the La Crosse campus. EmPATH stands for Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing, and it’s an alternative way to treat patients who present to the hospital emergency room while in a mental health crisis.
First-of-its-kind program in Wisconsin
Emplify Health by Gundersen’s EmPATH unit will be the first of its kind in Wisconsin.
“We’re excited to offer yet another avenue of care for our neighbors who need support for their mental health,” says Josh Court, director, Emplify Health by Gundersen Behavioral Health. “We understand the critical need for this type of care, and Emplify Health by Gundersen is committed to leading with innovative ways like EmPATH.”
Those experiencing a mental health emergency will continue to present to the Emergency Room, but rather than queue in with other patients, under the EmPATH model, these patients will be assessed in a quiet, calm environment, then be transferred to the hospital’s new EmPATH facility, where they can remain for up to 23 hours to receive the help they need.
“Most people get what they need within 12 to 16 hours, and then they move on to continue care on an outpatient basis,” Court says.
Patients in EmPATH will meet with a psychiatric provider within the first hour of their arrival to review diagnoses, treatment plans and medication. From there, patients will meet with other behavioral health professionals to address the immediate crisis. After the crisis is addressed, the patient will work with that treatment team to determine what best fits their situation, which could include transfer to inpatient behavioral health or discharge and follow up in one of outpatient programs.
A continued commitment to mental healthcare
“It’s really filing a gap,” Court says. “We have traditional outpatient care, we have inpatient, but there’s a number of patients who need more than outpatient but don’t need a multiple-day stay in our inpatient behavioral health unit.”
The closure of HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire was a major driver in the need for this new unit, Court says, as is the need for treatment that serves those who need more than outpatient care but less than an inpatient program.
“What we’re creating is this intensive behavioral health center here at Emplify Health by Gundersen,” Court says. “For us as staff, we’re able to more efficiently serve patients.”
Emplify Health by Gundersen is partnering with the Gundersen Medical Foundation to support the work of bringing EmPATH to the community. Officials hope to open the unit by early 2026.
To learn more about mental health services offered at Emplify Health by Gundersen, visit our Behavioral Health page.