WellSpan Philhaven is opening an expanded inpatient unit at its Mt. Gretna campus, which will improve access to behavioral health care across central Pennsylvania. The expanded unit is scheduled to open to patients July 22.
The expansion added 5,000 square feet and 15 beds to the hospital’s extended acute unit – increasing the total number of beds in the unit to 40 – at its main hospital building on South Butler Road. The extended acute unit offers care for patients with complex mental health needs who require a longer-term hospital stay of up to six months.
The expansion of the unit is part of a larger $3.4 million construction project that began in January at the Mt. Gretna campus. The project also includes a separate, new 9,300-square-foot administrative building, which is scheduled to open by the end of the year, as well as new offices and conference rooms in the Mt. Gretna main hospital building. Heck Construction of Denver is the general contractor for the project.
The project will add about 25 jobs at WellSpan Philhaven.
“WellSpan Philhaven is committed to helping meet the needs of patients in our region,” said Phil Hess, senior vice president of WellSpan Health and president of WellSpan Philhaven. “This state-of-the-art extended acute unit allows us to provide expert care to patients who have the most challenging behavioral health needs.”
The newly expanded unit features ligature-free fixtures and furnishings, an activities room with large windows and a mix of private and semi-private rooms. Patients can leave the unit to eat in the main cafeteria in the Mt. Gretna hospital building, as well as to take walks and to return to their communities, as staff work to help them transition out of the unit.
Mantha Kotsalos, senior director of inpatient services for WellSpan Philhaven, said the expanded unit is intended to help meet a growing need for behavioral health care across central Pennsylvania. A Community Health Needs Assessment conducted by WellSpan Health identified access to comprehensive behavioral health services as a key need across the region.
WellSpan Philhaven is working to meet the growing need for behavioral health care by improving access to care for patients at primary care offices, offering more online services and group therapy services. WellSpan Philhaven also has expanded behavioral health care offered in emergency rooms at WellSpan hospitals across the region.
The expanded extended acute unit is one of three inpatient units at the WellSpan Philhaven 118-bed hospital in Mt. Gretna, which includes a 44-bed acute unit for adults and a 34-bed acute unit for children and adolescents. Outpatient therapy, day hospital, peer support and other services also are offered at the Mt. Gretna campus.
The Mt. Gretna campus also is home to Green Pasture, a separate 16-bed behavioral health care residence operated for and by the Plain Community.
WellSpan Philhaven is the region’s most comprehensive behavioral health organization, with locations across Adams, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties. It offers more than 50 programs at almost 30 locations, serving children, adolescents and adults.
About WellSpan Health
WellSpan Health is an integrated health system that serves the communities of central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland. The organization is comprised of approximately 1,500 employed physicians and advanced practice clinicians, a regional behavioral health organization, a home care organization, eight respected hospitals, more than 19,000 employees, and more than 170 patient care locations. WellSpan is a charitable, mission-driven organization, committed to exceptional care for all, lifelong wellness and healthy communities.
Media Contact: Cindy Stauffer, 717-733-6203 or cstauffer5@wellspan.org