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HealthEast expands mental health unit at St. Joseph's Hospital, clinics

Saint Paul Pioneer Press - 2/18/2017

Feb. 18--Hospital and clinic operator HealthEast is expanding the inpatient mental health unit at downtown St. Paul's St. Joseph's Hospital to serve elderly and high-needs clients. The hospital has begun converting existing space that had not previously been devoted to patient care into 17 inpatient rooms for adults and 12 geared toward geriatrics.

The expanded unit will span 36 rooms and open this summer. In a statement, HealthEast officials said the unit will provide large windows, colorful walls and other elements of a soothing atmosphere. The growth will allow for 70 new positions within the hospital, with care provided through a partnership with Universal Health Services, a health management company.

The expansion is part of St. Paul-based HealthEast's growing emphasis on mental health services. Within its emergency department, St. Joseph's recently added a Behavioral Emergency Care unit which is managed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by nursing staff with specialized training in mental health treatment. The unit can hold up to four mental health patients who work with crisis social workers in group and occupational therapy.

HealthEast has also begun embedding psychotherapists in at least six clinics, with the goal of expanding outpatient mental health services by more than 700 patients annually.

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