Expanded $2.4 Million Facility Will Serve Even More Bronx Residents
After three years of planning and months of construction, healthcare professionals, elected officials and community leaders joined together on November 6, at State-of-the-Art Psychiatric Emergency Room (NCBH) for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to launch the hospital’s renovated and greatly expanded Psychiatric Emergency Room. The ceremony celebrated the $2.4 million investment made by the New York Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) to provide quality mental health resources for Bronx residents.
The
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that nearly five
percent of all New York State residents suffer from a serious mental
illness. Each year, over 500,000 receive care statewide. The most
serious cases are life-threatening conditions requiring emergency
psychiatric intervention typically provided by a psychiatric emergency
room like the one at NCBH. Last year alone, NCBH’s original Psychiatric
Emergency Room evaluated nearly 3,400 patients. The original facility
will continue to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing
treatment to all those in need including children, adult and geriatric
patients.
The
new emergency room nearly triples the clinical space used for
psychiatric services, from 1430 square feet to 3600 square feet.
Clinical providers estimate this could lead to a 10 percent + increase
in patient volume, as additional examination and intake rooms allow
patients to be promptly seen by psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists,
social workers and other medical professionals. Once patients are
assessed and stabilized, they are either admitted for inpatient services
or provided with outpatient resources.
“Our
new Psychiatric Emergency Room provides the excellent care NCBH is
known for, now in a brand-new, state-of-the-art setting,” said Executive
Director Bill Walsh. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to
provide these needed services to all Bronx residents.”
Added
Chief Operating Officer Sheldon P. McLeod, “The new Psychiatric
Emergency Room is a substantial commitment to the Bronx communities we
serve, including the Norwood neighborhood where we are located. This
construction and renovation provides strong confirmation that we will be
providing needed mental health care in the Northwest Bronx for years to
come.”
About NCBH
North
Central Bronx Hospital (NCBH) is part of HHC’s North Bronx Healthcare
Network. A 215-bed community hospital, NCBH specializes in behavioral,
geriatric primary care and ambulatory care services for women and
children. Its renowned outpatient department has led the way in
community-based care delivered in a compassionate and
culturally-appropriate manner. As member facilities of the New York City
Health and Hospitals Corporation, Jacobi and NCBH are committed to
providing safe, high- quality medical care for any and all in need.
About HHC
The
New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is a $6.7 billion
integrated healthcare delivery system with its own 420,000 member health
plan, MetroPlus, and is the largest municipal healthcare organization
in the country. HHC serves 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more
than 475,000 are uninsured. HHC provides medical, mental health and
substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, four
skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers
and more than 70 community based clinics. HHC Health and Home Care also
provides in-home services for New Yorkers. HHC was the 2008 recipient of
the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission's John M. Eisenberg
Award for Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality. For more
information, visit www.nyc.gov/hhc or find us on facebook.com/nycHHC or twitter.com/HHCnyc.
