Harrison Medical Center to close behavioral health unit


April 1, 2009 · 2:36 PM

  • 0
  • Print Story
  • Letter/Editor

Harrison Medical Center will close its behavioral health unit May 1, Harrison President and CEO Scott Bosch announced Wednesday.

The unit has seen a declining number of patients, which has resulted in "operational losses that are unsustainable," according to a Harrison Medical Center news release. In the previous year, the 12-bed unit has seen roughly three patients a day.

"This is a very difficult decision, but one that we felt we needed to make at this time," Bosch stated.

Harrison's emergency department and medical units will continue to help patients who need mental health services or facilitate care with Kitsap Mental Health Services or other treatment facilities, according to the news release.

Harrison also is attempting to contract transport services for patients who will require care at another facility.

The behavioral health unit's closure affects 23 employees and several physicians. The news release states that Harrison officials are attempting to move the staff to other departments.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.

blog comments powered by Disqus