HHC, Backus Hospital Respond to Mental Health Needs of the Community

Hartford HealthCare (HHC) Friday unveiled a Behavioral Health Crisis Unit, a state-of-the-art, 10-bed non-public wing adjoining to the Backus Hospital Emergency Department.

The 3,740-square-foot area, designed with security, privateness and luxury in thoughts for sufferers, separates Emergency Department sufferers with bodily well being points from behavioral well being sufferers – making the expertise higher for all.

“Put yourself in a situation where you are having your worst day, and things are not really looking good in your life and you can come to place where you have your own private room, you can have peace and quiet, where you are respected and where you are not telling your story right next to someone behind a curtain,” stated Kyle McClain, MD, chief of emergency providers for Backus Hospital and the Plainfield Backus Emergency Care Center, at a press convention on Aug. 19.

“This is something we really needed for a long time and I want to thank everyone at Hartford HealthCare for helping to make this possible. It took a lot of years, it took a large investment, but this is what our community needed and we are rising to the challenge.”

Mental well being, substance abuse wants skyrocket

James O’Dea, PhD, MBA, senior vice chairman of the HHC Behavioral Health Network, stated there’s an explosion of psychological well being and substance abuse points nationally and domestically, however solely 4 out of each 10 sufferers who want behavioral well being care can get it – though their circumstances are largely treatable.

“This crisis happening right now in our country regarding mental health and substance abuse has never been more compelling,” stated O’Dea, who labored 25 years in the Backus ED earlier than shifting into his present position. “It’s by no means been extra vital for us to create entry factors for people to get involved in care. So whereas this can be a outstanding area, and it’s actually particular, that is actually about how can we higher interact with our sufferers, discover alternatives for them to get to us so we are able to navigate them by way of the care that they want.

“Here’s what we know: For every 10 persons who would benefit from behavioral health care, less than four people get it, which is really a shame because these conditions are actually very treatable. And we know how to give really good care, and we know that when we provide really good behavioral health care we see impacts, not just in improvements in our patients and in our communities, we also see that the rest of their health conditions also improve when you treat those underlying health conditions,” O’Dea stated.

Built for security, consolation

Highlights of the facility embody:

• Rooms are in shut proximity to nursing stations, permitting for fixed remark
• Rooms embody measures to prevent-self hurt
• Cameras
• Panic buttons
• Water shut-off
• Quick disconnect bathe wands
• Appropriate lighting
• Ice machine
• TVs
• Blanket heaters
• Refrigerators

Doors to open quickly

After it receives remaining Department of Public Health Approval, the unit will open to sufferers in early September.

Backus Hospital vice chairman of affected person care providers Colleen Desai, RN, stated that in a latest Community Health Needs Assessment, behavioral well being was amongst the prime healthcare points in Eastern Connecticut, which is why they pursued the behavioral well being disaster unit.

“We’ve listened to what the community needs are, and we are extremely proud to be in a position to address those needs,” Desai stated. “With this new unit, we can now provide an even safer, more dignified experience for our patients who will have access to high quality, coordinated care, in a more comfortable and therapeutic environment, which will help them recover more quickly.”