PrairieCare Announces Minnesota's Largest Expansion of Inpatient Psychiatric Care

Added hospital beds to reduce lengthy wait times for critical inpatient services

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Jun 30, 2021, 17:02 ET

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn., June 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PrairieCare, a Twin Cities-based psychiatric health care organization dedicated to providing mental health care for children, adolescents and adults is announcing a major expansion of its inpatient psychiatric care. This expansion comes as the Minnesota Legislature passed sweeping legislation on June 29 that waived the hospital bed moratorium and public interest review process for hospitals to add both mental health and substance use disorder beds.

The expansion of 30 hospital beds for children and adolescents (under the age of 21) will accommodate an additional 1,200 patients annually, marking the largest increase of psychiatric beds for youth in Minnesota in many decades. PrairieCare plans to expand its existing hospital in Brooklyn Park, and construction is expected to be completed in 2022.

"The lack of beds available in Minnesota for children and adolescents needing immediate mental health care has become a crisis," said Todd Archbold, CEO of PrairieCare. "Many patients including children and teens in psychiatric crisis end up in emergency rooms, and often board for days at a time waiting for an available psychiatric bed. That should not be happening."

Minnesota ranks amongst the lowest in the nation for psychiatric beds per capita, a number that has only decreased in the last few decades. PrairieCare is in the unique position to be able to act quickly to add much-needed beds due to their 100% focus on mental health care.

PrairieCare currently operates a 71-bed psychiatric hospital in Brooklyn Park and is one of the nation's most innovative, fastest-growing psychiatric health systems, caring for nearly 20,000 individuals each year across its full continuum of psychiatric services.

"The demand for psychiatric services is greater than ever, and there are few health systems that offer critical inpatient services," said Archbold. "Our hospital operates at near full capacity most of the year, and this expansion will help us care for many people who are not getting the care they need when they need it."

Although PrairieCare is the fastest-growing provider of psychiatric services in the state, much more still needs to be done to meet the need and prioritize shorter wait times for mental health treatment. This expansion will help save the lives of many with severe mental illnesses. Efforts for prevention and the early identification of mental illnesses in schools and primary care settings are also crucial to reducing negative implications later in life.

About PrairieCare
PrairieCare is one of the nation's most innovative, fastest-growing psychiatric health systems, offering psychiatric services for all ages, including free mental health assessments, clinic services, intensive outpatient programs (IOP), partial hospital programs (PHP) and residential services. For more information about services offered, visit www.prairie-care.com or call 952-826-8475.

Contact: Robin Stinnett
[email protected]
612.695.5647

SOURCE PrairieCare