It’s not that simple to add mental health beds, French Hospital doctors say
The San Luis Obispo County community and those of us in the medical field agree that more needs to be done to support those with mental illness. It is reported nationally, statewide and locally that many adults — 18%, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation — have a mental, behavioral or emotional disorder.
In an opinion piece published Oct. 17, 2019, Dr. David Bernhardt wrote that this problem could be solved if more hospital beds were allocated for behavioral health use.
The Viewpoint was headlined: “SLO County desperately needs mental health beds. Here’s one way to get them.”
If only it were that simple. Approximately 70% of mental health patients don’t actually need to stay in acute beds. These beds are reserved for people suffering from severely decompensated acute mental health conditions.
Communities across the country have struggled for decades to fund the resources, facilities and skilled professionals needed to care for those experiencing mental health crises. In SLO County, it was exacerbated when General Hospital closed nearly 20 years ago.
Part of our mission at French Hospital Medical Center is to provide care that is respectful and values the whole person, and to improve the quality of life. This applies to all people — including those living with mental illness. In our philosophy of going “Beyond Health,” we have been leaders in our region in supporting mental health programs.
French became a Dignity Health hospital 15 years ago and has since contributed more than $30 million to the community. This includes providing a total of $300,000 in funding for 40 Prado, Transitions Mental Health Association and the County Jail’s new Behavioral Health Unit.
Our Emergency Department has been proactive in developing cutting-edge Acute Behavioral Health Clinical Pathways to deliver medications and emergency care to mentally ill patients. The hospital also connects these patients with community resources. Our vision is to further decrease the need for these precious acute beds through continued collaboration with Crisis Stabilization Units (CSU) and psychiatric health facilities in the area. All of these facilities play a role in the continuum of mental health care for our residents.
Soon, the Oppenheimer Family Center for Emergency Medicine will open. This facility will have more resources and training for treating those with behavioral health issues, including facilities to care for people who are a danger to themselves and others. Find out more about our new ER at FrenchMedicalCenter.org and click on ”Emergency Care.”
As a community hospital, French must care for the community as a whole. Contrary to what Dr. Bernhardt wrote, our daily census of patients is not declining, but in fact has more than doubled since Dignity Health took over the facility in 2004.
Each year, we conduct an in-depth community needs assessment and use objective findings and recommendations from the medical community to develop strategies to best meet these needs.
Data show that SLO County’s population, like the rest of the U.S., is aging. These patients are diagnosed with more chronic conditions that require more complex, long-term care.
Dignity Health has already invested $100 million in improvements to French Hospital to date. And to help meet future needs, going beyond what might be expected for patient care in a small community, Your New French Hospital is set to open in 2022. This $125 million expansion will bring the latest technologies and acute care medical experts to our area, which will keep people from having to travel out of the county for care.
Patients will be diagnosed sooner and more accurately, which means their rate of survival will continue to increase. Our new patient tower includes the only private rooms in the county to give people more privacy, which will help them better communicate with their nurses and physicians, heal faster and not spread infection.
Dignity Health of Central Coast is also addressing the national and local epidemic levels of patients with mental health conditions we are facing. Dr. Bernhardt’s article failed to recognize the current efforts that are taking place at the Dignity Health Marian West campus in Santa Maria. We are excited about our project that will bring tiered services to meet the needs of our communities.
In collaboration with Santa Barbara County Behavioral Health, we will be able to provide care in a timely fashion by developing a CSU for patients who would benefit from 24-hour care, and an inpatient unit for the more severe mental health conditions. French Hospital has offered to do the same with SLO County Behavioral Health.
There are no simple, quick, or inexpensive solutions to the mental health crisis. No one facility can afford to meet all of these mental health needs, especially considering the various other health care needs of the community it serves. French Hospital will continue to participate in community discussions addressing mental health issues and supporting programs that fill this need. We will continue to go Beyond Health and deliver world-class health care for the residents of San Luis Obispo County.
Dr. Michael Clayton is the French Hospital Community Board Chair. Dr. Ke-Ping Tsao is co-chair of French Hospital Foundation’s “Beyond Health” Capital Campaign, Community Board Member, and past Community Board Chair.