Mercy psychiatric hospital sought for Clive, would operate as joint venture
Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines has filed a certificate of need application with the state of Iowa requesting approval to construct a 100-bed freestanding inpatient behavioral health hospital in Polk County.
The proposed facility, which Mercy plans to build adjacent to the newly constructed Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital in Clive, would cost an estimated $5.5 million and encompass 73,300 square feet, with a one-story clinical and support services area and a three-story bed unit.
The new hospital will be owned and operated through a joint venture organization created by Mercy and Universal Health Services, one of the largest health care management companies in the United States.
The hospital, which is subject to approval by the state’s Health Facilities Council, would serve children, adolescents, adults and seniors experiencing acute behavioral health issues. Medical treatment at this facility will concentrate on stabilizing patients so they are able to transition seamlessly into the care of outpatient community providers or be integrated into a home environment, hospital officials said in a release.
“As demand for behavioral health services in our community has increased, the number of patients in need of treatment has exceeded our current capacity,” said Mary Thompson, director of behavioral health services at Mercy-Des Moines. “Patients and their families frequently experience unacceptably long waits for care and sometimes must travel hundreds of miles across the state, or even out of the state, to find care. The construction of a new facility is needed to address the current need for inpatient behavioral health care and continue providing these vital services well into the future.”
Universal Health Services operates more than 300 behavioral health hospitals in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. The company has substantial experience and expertise in the field of behavioral health care that will enhance the level of care provided to patients, according to Mercy.
Mercy said the joint venture will also operate its existing behavioral health units, which include an 18-bed adult unit and a 16-bed child/adolescent unit at its downtown campus.
The proposed behavioral health hospital will offer inpatient and intensive outpatient services. It will also provide treatment through existing Mercy behavioral health programs to ensure continuity and alignment across the proposed behavioral health system of care.
“By improving access to essential behavioral health services, we have a unique opportunity to transform the way our patients receive care through focused case management and the implementation of evidence-based treatments,” said Dr. Sasha Khosravi, medical director of Mercy Behavioral Health. “Expanding our facilities will give us the resources we need to develop superior clinical protocols and clinical programming customized to each patient’s individual needs, ensuring the most acute patients are receiving the highest quality treatment possible.”
If the proposal is approved by the Iowa Health Facilities Council without changes, construction could begin as early as April 2019.