Beaufort (S.C.) Memorial Hospital has completed a $1.9 million expansion of its emergency department to add services for patients experiencing psychiatric crises.
The new evaluation and assessment unit uses the EmPATH model — Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing — to provide behavioral healthcare in a therapeutic environment separate from the main emergency departments, according to a Dec. 24 news release.
The secured unit includes two private patient rooms, a consult room and recliner bay designed to reduce stress and support individualized care. It aims to shorten emergency department stays for mental health patients and improve patient and staff safety.
The project was funded through grants and philanthropy, including $1.6 million from the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, according to the release. Beaufort Memorial was one of only 13 healthcare systems in the state to receive such funding.
