Scott Zeller

MD

Vituity Vice President of Acute Psychiatry

Scott Zeller bio image

Scott Zeller, MD, is Vituity’s Vice President for Acute Psychiatry. He previously served as Chief of Psychiatric Emergency Services at the Alameda Health System in Oakland, California. In his 30 years of practice, he has personally cared for over 80,000 patients.

Dr. Zeller is known around the world as a leading expert in psychiatric emergencies. He has authored multiple textbooks and numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and lectures internationally as a keynote speaker. Additionally, he led the development of both U.S. and international guidelines on evaluation and treatment of agitation. He has published research on innovative designs for emergency mental healthcare, which he has also helped to implement in multiple centers.

Dr. Zeller graduated from Northwestern University Medical School and completed his residency at the University of California, San Francisco. In addition to his work with Vituity, Dr. Zeller is an Assistant Clinical Professor at both the University of California, Riverside and Touro University medical schools and is a past president of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry. In 2015, the National Council on Behavioral Health named him USA Doctor of the Year. He was also awarded the 2019 Ritz E. Heerman Memorial Award from the California Hospital Association.

 

EmPATH Units for Crisis Stabilization

 

The number of patients presenting to hospitals with mental health and substance abuse emergencies is skyrocketing. In some parts of the country, behavioral health patients now represent 15% of all ER visits. Unfortunately, emergency departments are often not equipped to serve these patients.

To ensure that behavioral health patients receive timely and compassionate care, Dr. Zeller created the EmPATH model for crisis stabilization. These dedicated units are trauma-informed environments where patients in acute behavioral health crisis receive monitoring and support. Initially published as the Alameda Model, Dr. Zeller has consulted on or led the creation of over 15 EmPATH units across the United States.

Scott Zeller, MD, is Vituity’s Vice President for Acute Psychiatry. He previously served as Chief of Psychiatric Emergency Services at the Alameda Health System in Oakland, California. In his 30 years of practice, he has personally cared for over 80,000 patients.

Dr. Zeller is known around the world as a leading expert in psychiatric emergencies. He has authored multiple textbooks and numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and lectures internationally as a keynote speaker. Additionally, he led the development of both U.S. and international guidelines on evaluation and treatment of agitation. He has published research on innovative designs for emergency mental healthcare, which he has also helped to implement in multiple centers.

Dr. Zeller graduated from Northwestern University Medical School and completed his residency at the University of California, San Francisco. In addition to his work with Vituity, Dr. Zeller is an Assistant Clinical Professor at both the University of California, Riverside and Touro University medical schools and is a past president of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry. In 2015, the National Council on Behavioral Health named him USA Doctor of the Year. He was also awarded the 2019 Ritz E. Heerman Memorial Award from the California Hospital Association.

 

EmPATH Units for Crisis Stabilization

 

The number of patients presenting to hospitals with mental health and substance abuse emergencies is skyrocketing. In some parts of the country, behavioral health patients now represent 15% of all ER visits. Unfortunately, emergency departments are often not equipped to serve these patients.

To ensure that behavioral health patients receive timely and compassionate care, Dr. Zeller created the EmPATH model for crisis stabilization. These dedicated units are trauma-informed environments where patients in acute behavioral health crisis receive monitoring and support. Initially published as the Alameda Model, Dr. Zeller has consulted on or led the creation of over 15 EmPATH units across the United States.

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We want to empower ERs to take ownership of every patient who walks through that door — not just most of them. If behavioral health emergencies could be handled as effectively as physical ones, it would dramatically change the quality of care and the economics of our ERs.”

Scott Zeller, MD

Vituity Vice President of Acute Psychiatry

Partnering to improve patient lives

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