Providence and Fairfax File Certificate of Need for 85-bed Freestanding Psychiatric Hospital

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Submitted by Providence St. Peter Hospital

Providence St. Peter Hospital and Fairfax Behavioral Health have entered into a joint venture to form Olympia Behavioral Health LLC and have jointly submitted a Certificate of Need (CON) with the Washington State Department of Health to develop and operate an 85-bed freestanding psychiatric hospital for children, adolescents and adults in Thurston County. Subsequent to CON approval, Olympia Behavioral Health would open in early 2018 and would serve both voluntary and involuntary patients ages five and older. This new venture will benefit from Fairfax’s role as the leading behavioral health provider in the state and demonstrates both organizations ongoing commitment to providing quality care in our community

providence st peter hospitalIf the CON is approved, Providence will transfer up to 20 psychiatric beds from the St. Peter Hospital license to the new freestanding hospital. This will not impact Crises Services at Providence St. Peter Hospital nor behavioral health services for patients who need it while receiving other services at Providence St. Peter Hospital.

“Fairfax has been a leader in providing behavioral health services to the community for more than 85 years,” said Fairfax Chief Executive Officer Ron Escarda. “With that strength and depth of experience, we are excited to couple with Providence’s strong presence and commitment to the communities they serve. That is what makes our partnership unique.”

Providence and Fairfax have already partnered on behavioral health services in Snohomish and Spokane counties. The partnership has identified two potential sites in the City of Lacey. The estimated size of the Thurston County facility would be approximately 55,000 gross square feet.

“Thousands of adults and children in Thurston County alone have a mental health condition, and more than 10 percent of the patients who come to the St. Peter Emergency Center need behavioral health services (approximately 22 each day),” says Medrice Coluccio, chief executive for Providence in Southwest Washington. “This freestanding hospital will allow us to grow the existing services that Providence already provides and fill a gap in the community.”

providence st peter hospital
More than 22% of patients who visit the ER at Providence St. Peter need psychiatric services. The new facility will help fill the gap for these patients. Photo courtesy of Providence

Olympia Behavioral Health will build upon the Providence and Fairfax principles of caring for patients who need mental health services with compassion, kindness, dignity, excellence and respect, while providing a supportive environment and treatment to help them heal. The proposed hospital aims to be recognized as the premier regional provider of innovative, compassionate behavioral health services, which will enhance the health of the community. In addition, the new psychiatric hospital will continue to rely upon the long-standing, collaborative relationships that have been formed with other community providers and partner organizations in Thurston County to provide a seamless continuum of care.

Providence and Fairfax share values

Fairfax Behavioral Health is proud to partner with Providence in this opportunity to greatly improve and expand access to behavioral health services in Southwest Washington.  Providence and Fairfax have already established partnerships in Everett and in Spokane. Fairfax’s history spans 85 years and shares Providence’s commitment to the poor and vulnerable. This partnership aligns with Providence’s core strategy of “creating healthier communities, together,” which calls for identifying like-minded partners to meet the needs of the community.

Providence St. Peter Hospital Crisis Services Department (located in the St. Peter Hospital Emergency Center) is the only one of its kind in the five-county service area of Thurston, Lewis, Mason, Grays Harbor and Pacific counties. It is regularly at capacity, and unable to accept additional patients from Thurston County and beyond.

“The addition of a freestanding psychiatric hospital will be particularly crucial in assisting the surrounding rural communities that do not have the necessary staff or facilities to treat and care for this patient population,” added Coluccio.

providence st peter hospital
The free-standing hospital will provide much needed relief to the doctors and nurses at Providence St. Peter, working to meet the behavioral health needs of the entire region. Photo courtesy: Providence St. Peter Hospital

By partnering with Fairfax, Providence can expand access and develop services to meet the behavioral health needs of the community. The new hospital will be well connected with the providers and services available at Providence clinics and hospitals in Thurston, Lewis, Grays Harbor and Mason counties, creating a seamless care experience for patients.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our two organizations to bring the full scope of our expertise and resources to address an identified need in southwest Washington,” says Ron Escarda, Fairfax Behavioral Health chief executive officer. “Fairfax is excited about having the opportunity to utilize its knowledge and expertise in the provision of behavioral health services to the Thurston County community, and working in partnership with Providence St. Peter Hospital to serve these patients and their families.”

 

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