OBHAW sees rise in patients during pandemic
For more than 50 years, Ouachita Behavioral Health and Wellness has been servicing the mental health needs of the community.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has changed some protocols, OBHAW has continued to see and treat patients at its facility. “It’s more important now to see people,” said Renee Bartholomae, Director of Marketing with OBHAW. “We can’t shut our doors.”
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, OBHAW has seen a rise in its telehealth patients. “Telehealth has increased dramatically,” Bartholomae said. Telehealth is the distribution of health-related services and information via electronic information and telecommunication technologies.
OBHAW still continues to see patients in person at its facilities as well. OBHAW follows all COVID-19 related guidelines and has implemented virtual checkin. “We make it as easy and hands off as possible,” Bartholomae said.
Over the past year, OBHAW has had a host of new staff and employs around 120 people in all five locations. To help assist with the impact of COVID-19, OBHAW has partnered with the state of Arkansas and FEMA to provide a Crisis Counseling Program. This is a free and anonymous service that provides crisis counseling, education, and referrals. There are three numbers available to call or text Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Those local numbers are (501) 762-2734, (501) 762-2304, and (501) 762-4944. There is also a 24-hour support line at (833) 993-2382 and a website at www. staypositivearknasas. com.
Among other services that OBHAW has added in the past year is their crisis team and EMDR Therapy.
The Crisis Team’s services include care coordination agreements with community providers to ensure follow up and going beyond the initial screening or evaluation. The goal is integrated, whole-person recovery and that takes a team who will work with the individual within the community for placement, treatment, housing, and other resources with the goal of helping the individual to self-manage symptoms and become less reliant on emergency rooms and crisis response programs and facilities.
The Crisis Team includes: Heath Larner, LPC; Tiffany Terry, LCSW; Elizabeth Hale, LMSW; Anna Wilson, LMSW; Lea Gaines, LPC; and Connie Segal, LAC. The crisis team can be reached by calling the emergency number 800)-264-2410.
EMDR Therapy is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy. This type of treatment is known to help those suffering from a wide range of trauma. It involves reflecting on specific experiences of past trauma in a patient’s life and helps people heal from trauma or other distressing life experiences. These are experiences causing stress, grief or other emotional reactions. The process takes time and requires the services of a therapist trained and certified specifically for EMDR therapy program treatment. Most people gain remarkable, life-changing success in 12 to 20 sessions and it is assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal. EMDR therapy shows, however, that the mind can heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference.
EMDR therapy can help adults and children of all ages. OBHAW therapists use EMDR with a wide range of challenges, including, but
not limited to: sexual assault, PTSD, pain, panic attacks, violence and abuse. OBHAW currently has three licensed counselors that have gone through the EMDR training and are currently in the process of being certified in EMDR treatment. Those counselors include Eric Huneycutt, LPC; Sara DeBoer, LCSW; and Christy Fitch, LPC.
For more information on this program or to become a client, visit any of the OBHAW walk-in clinics, call (501) 624-7111 or visit OBHAW’s website at www.OBHAW.org.
OBHAW has a variety of services it offers at any of its five locations throughout the state. OBHAW has locations in Hot Springs, Malvern, Arkadelphia, Glenwood, and Mount
Ida. The Malvern location is located at 1615 Martin Luther King Blvd. They can be reached at (501) 332-5236. Their walk-in clinic hours
are Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon. More information on OBHAW can be found at their website at www.obhaw.org.
Within the upcoming months in 2021, Higginbotham Family Clinic will hopefully be relocating in its new and enhanced building at 1580 Tanner Street in Malvern. The construction process has been ongoing since last year and the clinic is ready to explore this opportunity with the community soon.
Dr. Shane Higginbotham started Higginbotham Family Clinic in July of 2011 with Ed Costello, PA in Malvern.
The new building will explore several new opportunities for the community— such as expanding patient opportunities for medical specialists to help service the healthcare needs for all patients, especially the older generation.
For many years, the clinic has focused on providing the best kind of quality health for its patients— which is its number one priority.
The location will benefit the clinic in a variety of advantages from the enhancement of technology to have a more improved outside security system— to better the safety of the staff, patients and the facility.
Kim Overton, office manager mentioned the new building will provide plenty of space for wide hallways, a larger parking lot, automatic doors accessible for handicap/ wheelchair and so many more services that will be beneficial for the staff as well as their patients.
Overton also added, the clinic expects to have quality exam tables once the new building is complete.
While the current location of the clinic at 1002 Schneider Dr. Suite 104 in Malvern does not provide enough light during the
night, the new location will allow a better lighting area to help with the aspect of security cameras.
She emphasized the construction process on the new building has been at a steady pace and each time when viewing the building stages crews have been onsite working. She feels its been an exciting experience.
She mentioned everyone is very excited about their new facility, and cannot wait to be able to utilize it and continue to take great care of their patients.
The clinic will continue to provide the current services for their patients at the new building such as wellness and DOT exams, allergy testing and treatment, x- ray ( in house radiology,) lab ( DOT and non- DOT drug testing), TB skin tests, urgent care ( same day appointments, care management, diabetic dietary teaching and weight management.
Overton also mentioned the clinic offers assisted home visits for their patients— to whomever can't physically make it to the clinic and is cared for by a RN.
The clinic also offers
TeleHealth appointments. Through this service, patients can speak with a provider via video call on their cell phone, tablet, or computer. Patients must call the office to set up a TeleHealth appointment.
These services have been very convenient for the clinic during the COVID- 19 pandemic. The clinic staff has strived to make every effort to continue to care for their patients while keeping them safe through TeleHealth visits and limiting the need for a physical presence in the office. During this uncertain time, the clinic will continue to offer the same high level of care to all patients and their family.
Overton mentioned Dr. Higginbotham values the importance of family. He has a strong Christian background and Higginbotham Family Clinic has been a pleasant and family working atmosphere Overton said.
She added, Dr. Higginbotham treats everyone at the clinic like they're a part of his family and truly cares about all employees. "The clinic is very family oriented and Dr. Higginbotham treats everyone
like family."
The new building will be an extraordinary journey for the clinic that is something Dr. Higginbotham and the staff believes can build a stronger connection in the community. The clinic's soon to be new home on Tanner street will be the step for more adventures as being the provider of "Healthcare for Every Stage of Life."
Higginbotham Family Clinic medical team are Dr. Shane Higginbotham, MD; Ed Costello, PA; Leah Costello, PA, Leah Costello, PA; Kerry Cook, APRN; Kristyn Lambert, APRN; and John Bates, APRN.
Higginbotham Family Clinic is a full service family practice including women’s health in Malvern. The clinic will continue to take the appropriate measures to keep their patients and staff safe while continuing to provide the highest quality of care even when they are working in the new facility.
For more updates on the construction process for the new building, check out the clinic's Facebook page.