BALTIMORE, MD--(Marketwired - November 11, 2016) - In 33,000 square feet of sunlit space that includes aqua tones, comfort rooms, and clear lines of sight, MedStar Health has committed more than $8-million and a value-based approach in treating mental health issues, to open a new regional in-patient behavioral health center at MedStar Harbor Hospital.
A 10 a.m. ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday, Nov. 16, will celebrate the center's official opening. Beginning Thursday, Nov. 17, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital's Inpatient Behavioral Health unit will be relocating to MedStar Harbor, creating one of the best coordinated behavioral health delivery models in the region.
According to the Baltimore City Health Department, Baltimore City residents comprise only 11% of Maryland's total population but represented 30% of all statewide inpatient hospital discharges for individuals with mental illness. Over 60,000 residents are estimated to have a drug or alcohol addiction.
"There hasn't been a more important time than now to work in mental health care," said Elias Shaya, MD, Regional Medical Director for Behavior Health MedStar North. "We are proud to be in a position where we can address our communities' needs in the most comprehensive and integrated way by addressing all aspects of their health."
The new behavioral health center features a multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals who will provide each patient with a customized care plan. They include board certified psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, licensed clinical psychologists, psychiatric nurses, case managers, social workers, licensed mental health counselors and technicians.
The newly completed space is one-hundred percent focused on transparency and respect, with design input provided by a full spectrum of individuals who treat patients with emotional, behavioral, intellectual or addictive challenges.
"The majority of the workspace is open," said Jill Johnson, Vice President of MedStar Behavioral Health and Vice President of Operations at MedStar Harbor, "with a lot private space too and design features that blend safety and comfort to promote a normalized surrounding, rather than institutional. Special considerations were made in the construction of windows, doors, walls and flooring."
In the MedStar Harbor emergency department, a crisis intervention unit affords a private observation area where clinicians can determine if in-patient care is necessary. There, a peer recovery coach from the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) project is also available for intervention and treatment services of those with substance use disorders.
About MedStar Health
MedStar Health is a not-for-profit health system dedicated to caring for people in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, while advancing the practice of medicine through education, innovation and research. MedStar's 30,000 associates, 6,000 affiliated physicians, 10 hospitals, ambulatory care and urgent care centers, and the MedStar Health Research Institute are recognized regionally and nationally for excellence in medical care. As the medical education and clinical partner of Georgetown University, MedStar trains more than 1,100 medical residents annually. MedStar Health's patient-first philosophy combines care, compassion and clinical excellence with an emphasis on customer service. For more information, visit MedStarHealth.org.
Contact Information:
Contact:
Debra Schindler
Phone 410-274-1260
Email debra.schindler@medstar.net