Monument Health Behavioral Health Center expands patient capacity

Monument Health Behavioral Health Center expands patient capacity

RAPID CITY, S.D. (May 2, 2019) – The Monument Health Behavioral Health Center on Mountain View Road in Rapid City will increase its capacity, allowing the center to serve eight more adult patients, Monument Health announced. The average stay at the center is four days, so the addition means that the facility will be able to care for approximately 730 more patients per year.

To support the growth, Monument Health has hired four additional nurses and a full-time psychiatrist.

“We have a need for more mental health resources in western South Dakota, so I’m really happy we were able to make this addition,” said Katy Sullivan, Director of Behavioral Health Center.

Before the additional capacity, the Behavioral Health Center could accommodate 44 patients – 18 pediatric patients and 26 adults. Pediatric patients usually stay 5 to 7 days, and adult patients generally stay 3 to 5 days. The Behavioral Health Center serves as a first stop for people in danger of suicide or suffering from mental health problems, Sullivan explained.

“The goal is to get patients stabilized and transitioned into the right kind of care,” she said. Many patients go home after leaving the Behavioral Health Center. Others who need long-term inpatient care are transferred to the South Dakota Human Services Center in Yankton.

Recently, the Behavioral Health Center partnered with the Alano Society in Rapid City to offer Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at the center. For some of the patients, it’s important to maintain the connection with AA during their stay, Sullivan said.

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CONTACT:
Dan Daly
Communications Specialist
Strategic Marketing and Communications
Monument Health
605-755-9178
ddaly@monument.health