Submitted by Island Hospital

Island Hospital’s Psychiatry & Behavioral Health school-intervention program was one of 10 programs nationwide to be awarded $10,000 by Jackson Healthcare for impacting underserved communities. The hospital established a mental-health program for Anacortes School District students in 2013 following a community health needs assessment that showed a significant need for mental-health and substance-abuse intervention services.

Jackson recognized 10 hospital-outreach programs for “innovative approaches to impacting lives in local communities around the nation,” according to its website. The winning programs each received unrestricted funds through the Hospital Charitable Services Awards, a national program sponsored by Atlanta-based Jackson Healthcare. Each program had to demonstrate excellence in community impact, innovation, collaboration, leading practices and replicability.

Specifically, Jackson noted that the Island Hospital program “takes on the challenge of overcoming Washington’s barriers to mental health access through an outpatient clinic – the first public hospital-sponsored clinic of its kind in the state.”

“We are very proud of this innovative program to help our local students,” said Island Hospital CEO Vince Oliver. “It’s developed into an effective program because of the great working relationship between the Anacortes School District and Island Hospital, along with an excellent staff at our Psychiatry & Behavioral Health clinic.”

Since Jackson implemented the award program in 2010, 60 programs have been identified as excellent, high-impact services that can be replicated in other communities.