Behavioral Health Unit to be built at Madison Memorial
REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - Madison Memorial Hospital has announced plans to proceed with construction of a new Behavioral Health Unit.
“After years of careful planning, we’re excited to share with you our plans for our new, upcoming Behavioral Health Unit, created both to address the growing need for psychiatric care and as a supplement to the outstanding mental health services already existing in our community," said Doug McBride, Executive Director of Business Development at Madison Memorial.
The initiative is aimed at addressing mental health care deficiencies in the area. It will include a 12-bed, crisis-stabilizing facility for adults aged 18 and over. Construction will begin later this year, with a grand opening tentatively planned for September 2021.
The hospital expects the average patient stay to be about seven days.
“We’re fortunate to have two psychiatrists contracted to be the attending physicians for this new unit,” McBride said. “Drs. James Morris and Jim McCoy, both from the University of Utah Medical School Psychiatric Residency program, will be spearheading the launch of this new, much needed community resource.”
Madison Memorial hopes the new facility will help meet a critical need in eastern Idaho, that some call an epidemic. Statistics indicate one in five adults lives with a mental illness. Idaho suicide rates consistently rank 50% higher than the national average.
