Benefit to kick off fundraising campaign for Garrett County and the surrounding region
The Garrett Regional Medical Center (GRMC) Foundation will host ‘Making a Difference Together,’ a behavioral health benefit, on Thursday, March 2nd from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at Garrett College.
This event is open to the public and will feature a special menu from Huckleberry Catering as well as hosted beer and wine. Guests must be 21 years of age to attend. The benefit serves as the kickoff event for the Foundation’s behavioral health fundraising campaign, which is designed to increase the availability of mental and behavioral health services for Garrett County and the surrounding region.
Since opening in 2019, the demand for mental and behavioral health care and treatment at GRMC’s regional behavioral health center – called Family Health & Wellness and located at 69 Wolf Acres Drive in Oakland – continues to climb.
Providing office based comprehensive mental health and substance abuse services to Garrett County and the surrounding region, GRMC’s Family Health & Wellness is currently staffed with a licensed clinical psychologist, a mental health nurse practitioner, and licensed social workers. The clinic serves the behavioral health needs of patients of all ages, from children to senior adults.
Family Health & Wellness also provides tele-psychiatric medication management with a Sheppard Pratt board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist (computer based with practitioners at Baltimore campus) in addition to tele-consultation evaluations through Kennedy Krieger for children, adolescents, and young adults ages 12-21.
Growing the number of behavioral health professionals in the area to reduce patient wait times is one of the primary goals of the campaign.
According to recent data, the national average wait time for a new patient to receive a mental health appointment is approximately five to six weeks. Furthermore, the national physician average is 16 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, or one per 6,250 people.
“Our goal is to bring mental and behavioral health resources to the forefront of our community and region,” said Mark Boucot, president & CEO of GRMC and Potomac Valley Hospital. “We plan to improve the available services, increase our providers, and reduce current wait times to better serve Garrett County and the surrounding area.”
The campaign will look to enhance the existing facility space through renovation and/or expansion to better serve the needs of patients and the community.
“Over the years, the support from our community has allowed GRMC to bring much needed services and enhancements to our region,” said Emily Tobin, GRMC Foundation executive director. “Our campaign goal is to shed light on the importance of behavioral health while raising funds to support the continued growth of these services in our community.”
Tickets are now available and can be purchased online by visiting www.wvumedicine.org/grmcdonate or contact Emily Tobin, GRMC Foundation Executive Director at 301-533-4178 or emily.tobin@wvumedicine.org.
For more information on Garrett Regional Medical Center, visit https://www.grmc-wvumedicine.org.
