MDH Announces Closure of Senior Behavioral Health

MACOMB, Ill. – During the McDonough District Hospital Board of Directors monthly meeting on Monday evening (May 20), discussion took place on the future of the Senior Behavioral Health unit.

After evaluating the finances and average number of patients daily, the Board voted unanimously to close the Senior Behavioral Health (SBH) unit. The SBH unit will no longer accept new patients after June 1, and will officially close no later than June 30. In doing the best to maintain a commitment to staff working in the unit, SBH staff have been given priority in applying for open positions within the hospital.

MDH contracted with Horizon Health to manage the Senior Behavioral Health unit starting when it opened in 2015.

This closing will not affect the outpatient Psychiatry or Behavioral Health Services that MDH currently offers.

According to MDH President/CEO Brian E. Dietz, FACHE, “The decision was based on the program’s inability to meet projected volume and financial goals necessary to support a viable adult geropsychiatric service. The quality metrics of the program were exceptional thanks to a very committed group of professionals, but the financial losses were far too great for the hospital to continue to underwrite. During this fiscal year alone, the Senior Behavioral Health program is projected to lose close to $700,000 in operational and facility costs. In summary, over the last four years, the initial projections regarding the demand for this program exceeded our actual experience and therefore created unsustainable financial losses to the hospital.”

Dietz did emphasize that MDH will continue to offer Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services on an outpatient basis.

“The SBH unit will close in June, but MDH is committed to reallocate our resources and strengthen our outpatient offerings for Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services. We will continue offering outpatient services and emergency access 24 hours a day/7 days a week.”

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