Organization Profile
AdventHealth is a faith-based, nonprofit health system with more than 100,000 team members serving communities across nine states. With over 50 hospitals and 1,200 care sites, AdventHealth provides a wide range of services, from primary and specialty care to behavioral health, rehabilitation, and hospice. Guided by its mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, AdventHealth is nationally recognized for its whole-person approach to care.
Implementation of Zero Suicide
In 2011, AdventHealth leadership identified through Performance Improvement data that readmissions related to suicide risk required urgent attention. The system adopted the Zero Suicide framework to strengthen safety and care continuity. Key changes included:
- Enhanced discharge planning for at-risk patients
- Staff training in suicide risk assessment and care practices
- Integration of these practices with AdventHealth’s existing wellness call program
Together, these initiatives have helped reduce readmissions and improve patient safety.
Key Outcomes
Maternal Mental Health
AdventHealth recognizes the critical importance of supporting maternal mental health as part of family well-being. Through a three-year partnership with Zoma, the system developed a comprehensive maternal health support program built on three pillars: screening, staff training, and care coordination.
Screening: All individuals in the perinatal period are screened using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). For scores of 10 or higher, trained care coordinators follow up with resources and referrals.
Training:
- Edinburgh Education completed by emergency department and women’s health staff
- Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder (PMAD) Training completed by emergency department and women’s health staff
- Substance Use in the Perinatal Period Training completed by emergency department and women’s health staff
- Reproductive Grief Training provided to sonographers and others who deliver sensitive news to parents
Edinburgh follow-up:
All patients seen in the emergency departments in the Rocky Mountain Region who score 10 or above on the EPDS receive a follow up phone call and are provided additional resources as needed or requested.
Veteran Care
AdventHealth Rocky Mountain Region (RMR) has built a strong partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide culturally competent and accessible mental health care for veterans.
Training: All behavioral health staff received VA-led training in cultural sensitivity and counseling access to lethal means (CALM), tailored for veterans.
Gun Safety: Through the Face the Fight initiative, AdventHealth RMR hospitals distribute free gun safes and locks to veterans and staff, regardless of discharge status.
Resource Fairs:
For Veterans Day 2024, AdventHealth collaborated with the VA and Denver Public Health to host a fair providing mental health resources and distributing more than 20 gun locks and 8 safes.
For mental health awareness month in May, 2025 over 35 gun safes and twenty gun locks were distributed along with Narcan and fentanyl testing kits.
Media Outreach: Coverage by multiple Colorado news stations has raised awareness, expanded access, and connected more veterans to these safety resources.
Data Reporting: AdventHealth shares data with the VA on the number of veterans seen and their access to firearms, improving the tailoring of resources.
Conclusion
By integrating Zero Suicide practices into clinical workflows and community partnerships, AdventHealth has improved screening, follow-up, and support systems. Its maternal mental health program ensures families receive emotional, psychological, and physical care, while its veteran initiatives advance cultural competence and lethal means safety. These outcomes demonstrate the system’s commitment to whole-person health and reducing suicide risk across diverse populations.