SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Its Not a Rapid but a Bert

Pdf Summary

A Northwell Health working group created the Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT) to improve care for hospitalized patients experiencing psychiatric emergencies. Before BERT, psychiatric decompensation often triggered a Rapid Response Team call and sometimes escalated to a “code grey,” indicating a potentially or actively combative situation. The new interdisciplinary BERT was designed to provide a more structured response focused on activation, deployment, de-escalation, assessment, and treatment.<br /><br />BERT went live on October 31, 2022. The team is activated for adult inpatients who decompensate solely psychiatrically, with signs such as aggression, agitation, self-injury, or combativeness. It is available 24/7 and is expected to arrive within five minutes of activation. As with RRTs, the first provider on scene becomes the team lead. The team includes a patient engagement specialist, psychiatrist, security officers, RN managers, and the patient’s MAR-related care support as needed. BERT covers all inpatients except those in the ICU and operating room. Documentation is completed in the electronic medical record.<br /><br />The purpose of BERT is to ensure immediate interdisciplinary de-escalation and care, reducing harm to patients and staff. Early results are promising: within the first two weeks, code greys reportedly dropped from about 20 per week to fewer than 10. The team hopes that, over time, BERT will lead to more prompt and thorough management of psychiatric deterioration, sustained reductions in code greys, fewer staff injuries, and a safer hospital environment overall.

Asset Subtitle

Nayla Z. Idriss

Meta Tag

Author List Elizabeth McEntee, Michael McCabe, Nayla Z. Idriss, Sean P. Lavine MD

Category Innovations

Concept Behavioral Emergency Response Team

Concept Decompensation

Concept Mental Health Emergency

Concept De-escalation

Concept BERT Activation Criteria

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Northwell Health Long Island Jewish Medical Center

Presenting Author Nayla Z. Idriss

Track Patient Safety

Keywords

Behavioral Emergency Response Team

BERT

psychiatric emergencies

hospitalized patients

de-escalation

code grey

Rapid Response Team

interdisciplinary care

patient safety

Northwell Health

Behavioral Emergency Response Team

Decompensation

Mental Health Emergency

De-escalation

BERT Activation Criteria