Hackensack (N.J.) Meridian Children’s Health is expanding access to pediatric behavioral health beds at its Carrier Clinic campus in Belle Mead, N.J.
Carrier Clinic recently received state approval to increase the number of pediatric and adolescent inpatient beds from 36 to 52. The expansion will extend services to children ages 7-12 and create the largest pediatric and adolescent inpatient behavioral health unit affiliated with a children’s hospital in the state, according to a new release from the health system.
Stacy Doumas, MD, chair of psychiatry for the southern region of Hackensack Meridian Health and chair of the department of psychiatry at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune Township, N.J., said the additional beds will allow the system to reduce emergency department boarding and deliver therapeutic care more quickly to children and families in crisis.
The expansion aligns with Hackensack Meridian’s broader behavioral health strategy. With Medicaid cuts looming, the system has said it remains committed to maintaining services, including accelerating the integration of behavioral and physical health. Kenneth Esser Jr., executive vice president of behavioral health at the system, told Becker’s that includes leaning into collaborative care models and transitioning from traditional fee-for-service models to value-based care arrangements, which align payments with patient outcomes.
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