Healthcare Leaders Host National Summit to Transform Psychiatric Emergency Care

Participants will explore the AHRQ-recommended Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment, and Healing (EmPATH) Model for better crisis care.

DALLAS (May 15, 2025) – EmPATH Units—soothing alternatives to hospital emergency departments for behavioral health crisis care that have been recognized and highly recommended by federal agencies—will soon be the theme of a major national assembly, the EmPATH Summit.

EmPATH Consulting, an organization dedicated to improving psychiatric emergency care, will host the inaugural summit May 21–22. The event will bring together healthcare leaders, providers, patients, and mental health advocates dedicated to changing the standard of care for patients experiencing psychiatric emergencies.

Mental health and substance use crises now account for 12–15% of all emergency department (ED) visits. Many of these patients are subjected to “psychiatric boarding,” meaning they wait hours or days in the ED for evaluation or admission—often without treatment. This not only worsens symptoms but also contributes to ED overcrowding and strained hospital finances.

“Every minute a patient in crisis spends boarding, without treatment, is a missed opportunity for healing,” says Scott Zeller, MD, an internationally recognized expert in psychiatric emergency care. “With the right approach, we can reduce unnecessary hospitalizations, restore dignity for patients, and ease the burden on already overwhelmed emergency departments.”

At the summit, healthcare leaders and front-line clinicians will explore the EmPATH Model of psychiatric emergency care through presentations, panels, workshops, and case studies. EmPATH’s short-stay units provide efficient, effective care in a calming, therapeutic environment away from the ED. Over 75% of EmPATH patients are discharged within 24 hours.

The summit brings together powerful voices: Dr. Zeller, founder of the EmPATH Model; a Super Bowl champion turned mental health advocate; a patient who shares their journey through psychosis; designers who explore how space itself can be part of healing; and EmPATH leaders from across the country who share insights and lessons from their own hospitals.

The event has been thoughtfully designed to reflect the EmPATH Model itself, set in a beautiful, calming venue with wellness-centered activities like yoga and therapy dog visits.

The EmPATH Summit will take place May 21–22 at The Adolphus, Autograph Collection. Health system leaders and front-line providers are encouraged to attend. To register, visit the event page.

For more information, contact Eliza Stein, Nurse Consultant, EmPATH Consulting, at eliza@inflect.health.

About EmPATH Consulting

At EmPATH Consulting, we specialize in transforming psychiatric emergency care through innovative solutions that prioritize patient-centered outcomes, operational efficiency, and financial sustainability. Our expertise in the EmPATH (Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment, and Healing) Model and Emergency Psychiatric Intervention (EPI) equips healthcare organizations to address the challenges of psychiatric patient boarding, improve emergency department throughput, and deliver a higher standard of care.

We provide a comprehensive suite of services to support the creation and optimization of EmPATH Units and offer an EPI program to better support your current emergency department in managing psychiatric emergencies. Our offerings include expert guidance in unit design, staff training, and operational support, as well as professional speaking engagements and tailored advisory services. Whether developing new units, enhancing existing programs, or delivering education and training, we partner with healthcare organizations to advance psychiatric emergency care and improve outcomes for patients and providers alike.

Interested in learning more about building or optimizing your EmPATH Unit? Email empath@inflect.health.

About Inflect

Inflect is a healthcare innovation hub backed by Vituity, one of the largest physician-owned partnerships in the U.S., with 6K+ clinicians in 450+ practice locations serving over 9 million patients annually. Our on-the-ground healthcare expertise enables us to invest, incubate, and advise companies to transform the future of healthcare.

Inflect Capital invests in the best pre-seed, seed, and Series A health and wellness startups. Inflect Studio identifies critical problems and builds where there are unaddressed gaps. Inflect Advisory (which includes EmPATH Consulting) shares our industry expertise and provides guidance to other startups, Fortune 500 companies, and government entities aiming to break into and change the healthcare status quo.

Partnering to improve patient lives

Vituity branding with wave pattern footer