University of California San Diego Health is planning to close and relocate its inpatient and intensive outpatient psychiatric services for older adults.
According to a May 1 notice, the health system will close the senior behavioral health inpatient unit at Hillcrest Medical Center no sooner than Aug. 29. These services will be relocated to UCSD’s East Campus behavioral hub in August.
“The relocation allows for current senior behavioral health resources to be congregated in a clinically appropriate medical-psychiatric inpatient unit on a UC San Diego Health campus that also offers expanded outpatient services, new partial hospital programs and home-based care,” the system said in the notice.
The 14-bed unit served more than 1,100 patients between 2019 and 2024. The closure may affect less than 50 jobs. The system will prioritize these employees for new roles at the health system “where possible” according to the notice.
The system is also closing its intensive outpatient program for older adults at Hillcrest Medical Center, according to a May 20 notice. The program served 141 patients between 2020 and 2024. The change is expected to affect fewer than five employees.
