Fairbanks (Alaska) Memorial Hospital plans to renovate and expand its emergency room to better accommodate behavioral health patients, according to the Anchorage Daily News.
Currently, patients experiencing a behavioral health or substance abuse crisis in the emergency room face long waits before they are placed in the hospital's psychiatric unit. One to four patients per day come to the emergency room with these types of crises.
"We are trying to figure out how we are going to handle these patients in a safer manner and in a better manner," said Danny Robinette, MD, CMO of Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.
The hospital has received a $2.2 million grant for the project, though its total cost is unknown.