Friday, December 27, 2024
12/27/2024
St. Luke’s Hospital - Quakertown Campus will expand behavioral health services and increase capacity from 19 to 32 beds by renovating the Adult Behavioral Health Unit and purchasing moveable, safe / anti-ligature fixtures, furniture and equipment in Bucks county, Pennsylvania. The project is based on over 150 years’ experience of meeting community needs and providing care to the target behavioral health population. Increased use of substances, including opioids, for those managing stress and anxiety have been on the rise throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. “The ongoing stress and uncertainty of COVID-19 have led to increased demand for mental health services from psychologists in the United States—but conditions like anxiety and depression aren’t the only mental health issues people are facing. Experts say misuse of opioids and stimulants is also on the rise—and psychologists are in a good position to help. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of June 2020, 13% of Americans reported starting or increasing substance use as a way of coping with stress or emotions related to COVID-19. Overdoses have also spiked since the onset of the pandemic. A reporting system called ODMAP (Overdose Mapping Detection Application Program) shows that the early months of the pandemic brought an 18% increase nationwide in overdoses compared with those same months in 2019. The trend has continued throughout 2020, according to the American Medical Association, which reported in December that more than 40 U.S. states have seen increases in opioid-related mortality along with ongoing concerns for those with substance use disorders.” St. Luke’s Quakertown Campus is witnessing this concerning trend throughout the region we serve in Pennsylvania. Having an expanded inpatient Behavioral Health Unit in Bucks county is a critical need for our region. As we continue to experience and witness significant rising demand for behavioral health and subs tance use disorders, there are not enough beds and resources available to treat those in need. In fiscal year 2020 (pre-pandemic), there were approximately 4,400 Bucks county residents admitted for inpatient behavioral health services. Of those, only about 150 were admitted to the Quakertown Campus Behavioral Health Unit due to space constraints. The vast majority of these Bucks county residents were sent out of the county for care which adversely impacts family involvement and continuity of care. There are currently only two adult behavioral health units (including St. Luke’s Quakertown) in Bucks county totaling 46 licensed beds. This ranks Bucks county near the bottom of the state for behavioral health beds per county resident. Further, much needed Behavioral Health Care is often a difficult service to obtain due to financial constraints. Patient insurance coverage becomes a barrier to placement as some behavioral health facilities prioritize patients with private insurance over Medicaid due to higher reimbursement rates. At St. Luke’s, we treat all patients regardless of ability to pay, often struggling to breakeven for the care provided.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).