A crucial Washington state corporation has now filed with the state’s Department of Employment Security to announce severe layoffs.
As of September 7th, Providence stated, the children’s psychiatric unit at Sacred Heart Medical Center will be closing.
Finding sufficient child psychiatrists and financial losses were the factors that ultimately led to the decision, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dan Getz.
For inpatient treatment of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, acute psychosis, and other similar conditions, children and adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 are seen at the Psychiatric Center for Children and Adolescents.
Despite having a 24-bed license, the unit is only able to accommodate eight patients at a time due to severe provider shortages.
According to Getz, the unit is in dire need of four additional psychiatrists due to the nationwide scarcity that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among psychiatrists who specialize in inpatient pediatric treatment. In his opinion, the unit would not be shutting down if all of its employees were on duty.
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Experts and ethics leaders deliberated formally, taking into account the nonprofit’s objective to assist the most disadvantaged, before concluding.
Nonetheless, the adult inpatient mental institution will remain unaffected.
An estimated fifty jobs will be eliminated as a result of the closure.
There are primarily mental health counselors and registered nurses working in the facility.
In cases when other career opportunities exist inside Providence, communications director Beth Hegde stated that human resources will seek them out.
Additionally, the mental health team will establish a treatment strategy for every patient and connect them to community resources during the following two months.
In an interview, Getz emphasized that the organization would continue to support youngsters with mental health issues.
Located at the corner of West Fifth Avenue and Browne Street, Inland Northwest Behavioral Health has 25 beds for adolescents and was established a few years ago through a joint venture between Providence and Universal Health Services in response to the increasing demand.
“We couldn’t have made this decision without INBH,” Getz stated gravely.
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