NMRH shut down three services December 18th
PETOSKEY, MI -- This week, there will be fewer services available within the Northern Michigan Regional Health System.
On Saturday, three branches were closed.
The hospitality house, specialty care nursery, and mental health unit shut their doors.
What is the impact of eliminating mental health services?
The good news is there will still be mental and behavioral services in Petoskey to serve Emmet County and the surrounding communities.
The bad news: the men and women who need inpatient help will have to be located a ways away.
North Country Community Mental Health shared the same building as the former Mental Health Unit of Northern Michigan Regional Health System. Now, with the Mental Health Unit closing its doors, North Country will rely on other hospitals in the area.
"It basically takes a little more resources out of the pool that we would have to provide other services," said Dr. Andrew Sahara, the Director of Acute Care Services at North Country Community Mental Health.
North Country Community Mental Health provides outpatient assistance to people with mental and behavioral needs, but in the past relied on N-M-R-H for inpatient services for the more severe cases. Now, North Country patients with inpatient needs will go to Traverse City, Alpena, or Kinross, something that will work, but also something that is not ideal.
"There’s lot of research that shows for people with particular with serious mental issues, supportive family and community is very important for their recovery. This doesn't mean it's not going to happen, it just means it's all going to be a little bit harder," said Sahara.
Sue Tetzlaff is the Vice President of Nursing at War Memorial Hospital in Sault Ste. Marie. War Memorial Behavioral Services in Kinross will be one hospital that is prepared and will accept North Country patients into their 20-bed psychiatric unit.
"We ran an average census of 10 patients, which allows half of the beds to be available," said Tetzlaff.
Tetzlaff says with more patients, it'll mean more money, which will equate to better care.
"You have to have a high enough volume to provide the reality of healthcare, quality service," said Tetzlaff.
Patients who needed continued inpatient care were transferred from Petoskey to the other locations when it closed.
Dr. Andrew Sahara says he's confident service will continue as it has, just with the minor inconvenience of travel for patients and their families involved.
