Tipton Hospital Offers Improvements in Behavioral Health Services Through a Partnership with Howard Regional Health System

Michael Harlowe, Tipton Hospital's president and CEO, announced today that the hospital has entered into an agreement with Howard Regional Health System, Kokomo, to provide behavioral health services for Tipton area residents requiring them.

"Our goal has always been to provide patients with a continuum of care that is of the highest quality with an emphasis on patient safety," Harlowe said.  "We recently completed a review of our Behavioral Health service line to determine ways we can improve our care for patients.  After careful consideration, we chose to work with Howard Regional, confident that the care patients are accustomed to receiving will remain the same."

The name of the Tipton provider will be Howard Regional Health System Behavioral Health Services at Tipton.  The office will continue to be located at 404 Fairgrounds Road in Tipton.

Charles Clark, vice president, Behavioral Health Services for Howard Regional Health System, stated, "We are happy to provide a continuum of care for behavioral health services clients in the Tipton community. We had been contemplating providing these services to Tipton County residents, so the opportunity for this collaboration comes at an ideal time.  Our staff is excited about the ability to provide clients in the Tipton community with expanded services."

"By realizing our goals to collaborate with others," Harlowe added, "we are avoiding the duplication of services and maintaining a vital resource in the community, while assuring the residents of Tipton County access locally."

Howard Regional Health System is one of only 30 government-established community mental health centers in the state of Indiana.  The cooperation between Tipton Hospital and Howard Regional will afford an opportunity to provide more behavioral health services to Tipton County youth and adults as a result of county, state, and federal funding available.

Representatives from Tipton County will continue to serve on the Behavioral Health Advisory Board to assure that these funds are being used appropriately and that behavioral health services are available to Tipton County residents through health care professionals and government agencies who make referrals.

In addition, this change in service will allow for a larger scope of services and support to the Tipton community in addition to the services already being received. Examples include adult case management to help coordinate patients' care, including daily living skills. Expanded case management for children will also be available.  Staff will also be able to consult with a psychiatrist outside normal business hours should this be necessary.

"The behavioral health patients of Tipton County and the surrounding areas have been receiving great care, right here at home, and with this change, they will continue to receive great care in their community," said Carl Pafford, M.D., vice president, operations and business development of Tipton Hospital. "Key parties have been included in the evaluation process and financial consideration is not an exclusive factor in the evaluation of any of our service lines."

If patients have any questions regarding their care, they may contact Debra McGuckin, director, clinical services, Howard Regional Health System at 765-675-5961.