Hospitals and health systems are closing inpatient behavioral health units and other care sites, with many transferring these services to other facilities.
Here are 10 behavioral health facility closures Becker's has reported since April 28.
- HCA Florida Trinity West Hospital, a mental health hospital in New Port Richey, has closed. Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare said it closed the hospital Aug. 30 in response to evacuations ordered during Hurricane Idalia. Six patients were transferred to other facilities. Following the temporary closure, HCA decided to close the facility permanently, and transfer mental health services to other HCA facilities in the area.
- Ascension Providence will close the DePaul Center and its outpatient behavioral health clinic in Waco, Texas. Following the closing of the center on Dec. 1 and the clinic on Dec. 31, Ascension Providence, part of St. Louis-based Ascension, said it will continue to serve mental and behavioral patients in crisis in the emergency department. Patients will receive care in a seven-bed "green unit" before being discharged or transferred to other facilities.
- St. Joseph Medical Center in Houston is closing its Center for Behavioral Health, citing the cost of providing services. The facility's inpatient unit included 24 beds for patients aged 18 and older in immediate need of low-cost mental health services and accepted both Medicare and Medicaid.
- PeaceHealth will close Sacred Heart Medical Center University District in Eugene, Ore., due to underutilization. Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth said it plans to continue serving behavioral health patients at the hospital at University District until there is a sustainable alternative.
- Merit Health, based in Mableton, Ga., has closed the only behavioral health unit in Mississippi's Warren County. Merit Health River Region closed its Vicksburg behavioral health unit June 10 and transferred its 50 beds to Merit Health Central Mississippi in Jackson, approximately 40 miles away.
- Good Samaritan Hospital closed the inpatient psychiatric facility at its Mission Oaks location in Los Gatos, Calif. Nashville, Tenn.- based HCA Healthcare, which operates the Mission Oaks location, cited staffing shortages as the driving force behind the closure of the facility and its pediatric intensive care unit.
- Baystate Health, based in Springfield, Mass., began closing psych units and behavioral health services at some of its locations to make way for its standalone behavioral health hospital.
- Cascade Behavioral Health Hospital in Tukwila, Wash., closed its doors July 31. The 137-bed psychiatric facility was owned by Franklin, Tenn.-based Acadia Healthcare.
- Froedtert Health, based in Wauwatosa, Wis., closed the behavioral health unit at its Menomonee Falls hospital. The hospital had 800 psychiatric admissions in 2022.
- Trinity Health will close the adult inpatient behavioral health unit at its hospital in Chelsea, Mich. The Livonia, Mich.-based health system's 30-bed unit will close in December, and some beds will be relocated to other Trinity Health facilities.