Heywood Hospital in Gardner, Mass., is reopening its mental health unit, WGBH reported Jan. 3.
The unit closed in 2021 after the community-owned healthcare system struggled to retain clinicians throughout the pandemic. The hospital has now staffed enough to partially reopen the unit, with six beds becoming available for mental health patients Jan. 11.
The upgraded unit now includes a sensory room, along with enhanced security and training for staff and security members. The hospital aims to recruit enough clinicians to support a 12-bed unit eventually, the report said.