SMITHFIELD – Johnston Health will receive $3.1 million in state funding to add six inpatient behavioral health beds.
Ruth Marler, chief operating officer, says the 20 beds in the behavioral health department in Smithfield are full most days. And others who need mental health care are held in the emergency department until an inpatient bed is available.
Marler says the state allocation is good news for the community. She points out that additional beds will free up ED treatment rooms for other serious illnesses such as stroke and heart attack.
“We’re working on design plans and a construction timeline for the expansion,” she adds. “We’re excited to get started.”
N.C. Rep. Donna White of Clayton says she’s pleased to assist with the hospital’s need for construction dollars. She was instrumental in securing $1.42 million from the Dorothea Dix fund and $1.68 million from the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund.
Earlier in her career, White was a nurse at the Johnston County Public Health Department. She says she remembers how well the agency worked with the hospital to care for mental health patients.
“I will continue to focus on access to mental health care and to work with providers and intermediaries to assure local resources for all levels of care,” she says.
Shelley Malone, director of behavioral health services, says the demand for mental health care has grown dramatically since the start of the pandemic. Her team is seeing more patients with depression and anxiety. And rates of suicide and drug abuse have also risen, she adds.
Malone says many of the support systems previously available to patients have changed or ended because of the pandemic. “People with mental health issues are struggling for viable outpatient resources that they can negotiate comfortably,” she says.
Many facilities have scaled back their support services, too, she adds. “This can be a huge challenge for patients who lack access to technology, are frightened or unable to manage change.”
