According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide remains a devastating public health crisis, with suicide rates near historic highs—approximately 32% higher than they were in 2000. In 2024, 14.3% of adults seriously considered suicide, 4.6 million made a plan, and 2.2 million attempted suicide. With approximately 130 lives lost each day, the urgency for change has never been higher. The crisis is especially acute in rural and underserved areas, where limited access to behavioral health services and workforce shortages often exacerbate the risk.
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About MEDITECH Expanse HealthIT RHTP Accelerators Native MEDITECH Expanse accelerators—including real-time clinical surveillance and automated population registries—work in tandem with evidence-based EHR Excellence Toolkits to provide the advanced Health IT infrastructure required to achieve Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) objectives. By embedding clinical decision support (CDS) logic directly into point-of-care workflows, these toolkits drive consistent guideline compliance while seamlessly capturing discrete outcomes data. Organizations can readily integrate this pre-configured technical architecture and its associated Business and Clinical Analytics (BCA) capabilities into federal and state grant submissions to definitively demonstrate institutional readiness. |
As healthcare organizations work to address these gaps, the focus is shifting toward embedding evidence-based suicide prevention directly into clinical workflows. This importance of driving evidence based practices in this area is embedded into the strategic goals of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), which prioritizes behavioral health and suicide prevention nationwide.
Many people experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviors often seek help in healthcare settings. Systemically and compassionately implementing screening and intervention tools have proven to reduce risk of suicides. At MEDITECH, we are taking a proactive stance by embedding prevention directly into the EHR, where evidence-based frameworks become standardized clinical workflows. The Zero Suicide Framework supports this model through universal screening, evidence-based care, and continuous quality improvement.
Leveraging tools in MEDITECH Expanse
Within MEDITECH Expanse, suicide prevention is supported through integrated tools including ASK Suicide Screening Questions (ASK), the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), Stanley-Brown Safety Planning, and CAMS (Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality).
We’ve embedded these tools across ED, inpatient, and ambulatory workflows to support consistent screening, assessment, and intervention. MEDITECH also provides EHR Excellence Toolkits, including the Depression Screening & Suicide Prevention Toolkit, to help organizations standardize workflows. Clinical decision support and surveillance tools further help identify at-risk patients in real time and guide timely intervention.
Crucially, the post-discharge period is one of the highest-risk windows for suicide-related harm. To support patients during this transition, MEDITECH Expanse enables automated 7-day follow-ups and callbacks, event-driven high-risk registries, care coordination workflows, and patient portal outreach. These connected tools help maintain engagement after discharge and reduce gaps in care during this vulnerable period.
Embedding suicide prevention into EHR workflows reduces variability in care delivery and supports clinicians at every step, from screening to safety planning and follow-up. This also helps ensure consistent, evidence-based care across the system and aligns with Joint Commission expectations for universal screening and structured follow up.
Advancing rural health priorities
Rural providers face ongoing challenges in behavioral health access and workforce capacity. The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) has elevated suicide prevention as a national priority, driving investment in scalable, evidence-based solutions.
MEDITECH Expanse supports these efforts by helping organizations standardize workflows, extend care into rural communities, and navigate the complex, time-intensive requirements of state and federal reporting.MEDITECH Expanse simplifies this process by providing actionable metrics—from screening completion rates to safety plan adherence, follow-up compliance, and population-level outcomes—ensuring that organizations can verify their resource utilization and demonstrate the measurable impact of their suicide prevention initiatives.
Driving a system where no patient is left behind
Operationalizing suicide prevention requires more than good intentions; we need to support systems that empower clinicians by making best practices the standard of care.
By leveraging standardized screening, safety planning, and follow-up workflows within MEDITECH Expanse, organizations can ensure consistent, system-wide care. Ultimately, this approach strengthens care delivery, supports clinicians, and ensures every at-risk patient is identified, supported, and connected to care, without delay or exception.
The impact of suicide on our families and communities—especially in our rural and underserved areas—is profound, and we know that early intervention and consistent care can significantly reduce the risk. By working together to standardize our approach and leverage these critical tools, we can ensure that no patient falls through the cracks, as we identify, treat, and prevent suicide with the urgency this crisis demands.
Rural healthcare organizations face intense financial pressure. In this ebook, learn more about these challenges and MEDITECH's commitment to helping organizations remain independent and community-owned, avoiding forced mergers and consolidations.