Minneapolis-based Allina Health will close its inpatient chemical dependency unit at Mercy Hospital, a 24-bed facility in Fridley, Minn., on Feb. 20, according to a Sept. 27 report from CBS Minnesota.
The unit offers up to 40 hours of weekly programming, including therapy and monitored detoxification. Allina cited changes in reimbursement and shifting models of substance use treatment as factors driving the closure. The average length of stay for patients has decreased from five to three days, Joe Clubb, vice president for Allina Health Mental Health and Addiction Services, said during a recent public hearing, according to the report.
Allina leadership said most patients who require detox services will be treated through general admissions or outpatient services across the system. Nurses and current employees voiced concern about the decision, warning it may reduce access to structured care for patients with complex behavioral health needs, according to the report.
“The Unity Campus inpatient chemical dependency unit is designed to provide the structure, safety and focus that patients with severe addiction need to recover,” the Minnesota Nurses Association said in a statement shared with the news outlet. “Nurses warn that relocating these patients to open-floor hospital units will put patients at greater risk of relapse, undermine their recovery and deny them the level of care and appropriate setting patients require.”
In 2023, only 4.5% of Anoka County residents receiving substance use care opted for inpatient hospital services, with most choosing outpatient programs.
