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Minnesota Department of Health approves partnership for new mental health hospital

The Minnesota Department of Health has approved a partnership between Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services and Franklin, Tenn.-based Acadia Healthcare for a new mental health hospital in St. Paul, Minn. 

The new inpatient facility will have 144 beds and reside at former Bethesda Hospital site in St. Paul, Minn. 

Fairview Health Services formerly provided care at St. Joseph's Hospital, also in St. Paul, Minn., but ended these services in July 2022. 

The department ruled the partnership was in public interest for providing inpatient beds during a bed capacity crisis, according to a Sept. 12 news release. 

Though approved, the department did note concerns that the new facility will not be able to provide the same level of care previously offered by St. Joseph's due to limitations such as a lack of an emergency department for those seeking emergency mental healthcare, and less staff. 

In a review of public opinion, the department found concerns that the hospital will only care for a subset of the patient population and that it will have too small a staff. The review also noted that patients affected by the end of services at St. Joseph's have already sought help at other hospitals. 

However, most respondents in the review said they see a need for more inpatient mental health beds. 

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