Northwest Hospital Opens Expanded Behavioral Health Unit
Randallstown, Md. - To help meet a growing community need for inpatient psychiatric hospital beds, Northwest Hospital has opened a new and expanded behavioral health unit in its newest tower. The old unit was licensed for 14 beds; the new one is licensed for 23 beds, of which 20 are private and three are semi-private.
"We're pleased that Northwest Hospital is able to help alleviate some of the strain placed on area inpatient psychiatric units because of a general shortage of beds and the state's trimming of mental health services during this down economic time," says Brian White, Northwest's president. "By increasing the number of our psychiatric beds, we'll be able to better treat the communities we serve."
The unit will serve adult patients who need to be hospitalized for conditions such as depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. In some cases, physicians might admit their patients to the unit because patients need monitoring after psychiatric medication changes.
The design of the unit took patient safety and well-being considerations into account. To prevent patients from harming themselves, doors, lighting and bathroom fixtures have safety mechanisms; artwork is mounted within the walls; power outlets are safety-proofed; and electronic beds have enclosed wiring. The new unit is very aesthetically pleasing and has two communal rooms equipped with large, flat-screen televisions. Patients are encouraged to join in the unit's support groups, arts and crafts sessions, and social events held in these rooms.
The architect for the unit was Hord Coplan Macht Inc. and it was built by the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company. Leach Wallace Associates were the mechanical and electrical engineers.
Northwest Hospital is part of LifeBridge Health, one of the largest, most comprehensive providers of health services in northwest Baltimore. LifeBridge Health also includes Sinai Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Courtland Gardens Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, and related subsidiaries and affiliates. For more information, visit lbhstaging22.lifebridgehealth.org.
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