Memorial Hospital has added mental health teleservices to help those in need

The COVID-19 pandemic began some of its major impacts in the United States in March of last year and has continued well into spring of 2021. One of the many impacts of the 2020 experience affecting the everyday individual is mental health, a topic with gained media attention because of its impacts.
 In Weiser, a rural community can see different mental health trends, pros, and cons, said Family Medical Center’s (FMC) Amy Beitia. Beitia, the clinic’s Behavioral Health Consultant, joined the Weiser team in October and has already taken note of the differences a rural community may experience compared to a metropolitan area. Rural communities may experience a lack of resources as well as less opportunities to find specialized physicians nearby. In any individual, Beitia said the potential for increased mental health strain is added by the pandemic comes from many factors, including the possibility of isolation, lack of social support or activities, in turn increasing collective stress and anxiety.
 “I’ve seen more people coming in seeking services in regards to [added stressors,]” said Beitia.
 In particular, the adolescent population has seen an increase of added stressors from the pandemic, with teenagers losing their routines and regular coping mechanisms of spending time with friends and lack of regular social activities. Adolescents may not have the necessary tools to cope with added stressors, and rural communities in particular can suffer from a lack of resources for mental health needs.
 As well as teenagers, the older population in the Weiser area has also seen an impact on mental health. Many patients seeking care are transfers from other care facilities, said Beitia, and are already far from friends and family, and vice versa. Friends and family available either cannot visit or are only permitted to visit for a limited time and in limited quantities. Others among the older population have spent the past year with their routines disrupted, no longer able to care for or even embrace their grandchildren.
 “Yes, the adolescents, and I would say more of the later lifespan population are the higher need,” said Beitia.
 Recently added to Weiser Memorial Hospital emergency services is mental health telehealth services, allowing for individuals in a rural community to seek help from licensed professionals and specialists that may best suit their needs in the moment.
 While Beitia primarily spends her time in the clinic, she has experienced the use of telehealth in action and said it can have a great many benefits especially to rural areas and younger generations. The style of the telehealth experience is not dissimilar to regular communicative activities done daily with smart technology, a new addition to daily life that the younger crowd is fluent in, said Beitia.
 In rural communities as well, telehealth allows easier access to specialists not in the area, potentially eliminating the need for long hours of travel. While telehealth is shown to be a useful option, many patients seek the original face-to-face care, particularly in rural communities.
 “Telehealth was kind of a brand-new thing at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Beitia. “People were like, ‘can we use it?’ I feel like it’s been a very good resource…”
 Beitia discovered her passion for working in rural areas while earning her master’s degree, and said she was excited to take up the position in Weiser. Recognizing the need in the area, she put her best foot forward to help meet the needs of the people of Weiser.
 As the Behavioral Health Consultant, Beitia partners with medical providers and adds an extra hand with patients to aid with skills and treatment, as well as offering regular behavioral health counseling. While rural communities experience unique setbacks, they also experience unique positives regarding mental health. Weiser provides beautiful landscape, scenery and open space to center the mind and calm down. Weiser itself is also a close community that wishes to see success in one another, said Beitia. The Washington County area also provides alternative activities easily allowing for pandemic safety precautions to be observed, including hunting, fishing and hiking.
 “[Weiser] has a sense of community,” said Beitia. “They want to help each other and have a good, safe, happy place to live.”