By Aidan Mortensen | KOAL News
To address the growing mental health needs of residents of Carbon and Emery Counties, Castleview Hospital has announced plans to build an inpatient behavioral health unit.
This announcement coincided with a wall-breaking ceremony on Tuesday, April 7, during which hospital stakeholders and local elected officials gathered to celebrate the new addition.
“There’s a lot that goes into a behavioral health unit to be a place that is completely safe for patients and staff,” expressed Castleview CEO Mark Holyoak. “This behavioral health unit is something that is most definitely needed, not only in our immediate community, but in the communities that we serve for the entire region.”
The unit features 14 private beds for patients, with the capacity to serve up to 500 patients annually. It will also offer inpatient stabilization services, psychiatric evaluation and treatment and discharge planning.
The venture also furthers the hospital’s partnership with Four Corners Community Behavioral Health, a collaborative effort that Executive Director Melissa Huntington described as something that will ‘make a real difference in this region.’
“This wall breaking represents a really important milestone for behavioral health, especially in our Carbon/Emery area,” shared Huntington. “The need for Behavioral Health Services in eastern Utah continues to grow, and for years, one of the biggest challenges we deal with is the lack of inpatient options close to home … That’s why this project matters so much to us. It helps remove some of the barriers that we see every day when we care for the people who are in need.”
Construction on the project is set to begin this week, with an estimated completion date in July. If this schedule is met, Holyoak shared that they expect to be ready for patients the first week of August.
Rounding out the speakers, attendees heard from Castleview Board Chair Joel Hatch-Jensen,” Part of the board’s role is to look ahead and make sure that we’re moving forward in the ways that make our community better. This kind of progress only happens when institutions, community partners and local leaders get together and strive for the same goal. And this project is a good example of that.”
She continued,” Expanding inpatient behavioral health services here at Castleview is an investment in our future. It means that more people are able to be served here, and closer to home, and make sure that this hospital stays strong for our communities.”
Following the remarks, attendees gathered to break the wall where the expansion is set to begin, hearkening a new era for mental health care in the Castle Country.
