Richmond, Va.-Area Hospitals Seek to Alleviate Shortage of Psychiatric Care By Adding Beds

Several Richmond, Va.-area hospitals are considering plans to reduce the shortage of mental health care in the region by adding psychiatric beds, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. The area has lost more than 150 psychiatric beds since 1998 mainly due to the relocation of Richmond Memorial Hospital, the closing of Charter Westbrook Hospital and last month's closing of Capitol Medical Center at Virginia Commonwealth University. Because of the shortage, "hospital emergency departments, rescue squads and law enforcement agencies ... continue to struggle to find beds" in psychiatric emergencies, the Times-Dispatch reports. To alleviate the problem, Richmond's Retreat Hospital is in the "early stages" of examining the possibility of starting a psychiatric unit, while Bon Secours Richmond Community Hospital is expected to notify state health officials on Aug. 1 of its "interest" in expanding care for "acutely ill" psychiatric patients -- a plan that includes converting "unused medical surgical beds" to emergency psychiatric beds. Both hospitals would require state approval to proceed with the plans. Henrico Doctors Hospital has already received state approval to build a 32-bed psychiatric unit, and is "seeking to meet with" Virginia's health commissioner to determine ways to expedite the process. In addition, the regional bed shortage has "prompted" the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association to call an Aug. 16 meeting with hospitals, emergency department physicians and psychiatrists, rescue squads, mental health agencies and state government officials to discuss the situation. "In the next two to three months, we've got to get solutions," Tom Treece, regional chair for area mental health agencies, said, adding, "We can't have people sitting at the sheriff's or jail at midnight because we can't find a bed" (Martz, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 8/1).