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September 16, 2024
LA CROSSE – Gundersen La Crosse Hospital added four inpatient mental health beds to its high acuity unit – serving those who need the highest level of mental health care – to help address critical local and statewide mental health needs that have become more pronounced with the recent hospital and clinic closures in Western Wisconsin.
According to Josh Court, behavioral health clinical operations director, Gundersen La Crosse Hospital now can serve an additional 200 patients annually who experience acute mental health crises, bringing the total number of adult patients who can be served in Inpatient Behavioral Health to roughly 1,200 per year.
“This brings our high-acuity bed total to 12, up from eight previously – meaning we now have 50% more beds for those who need mental health care the most,” Court said.
Officials said:
- The 2024 Compass Now Report – a local community needs assessment – identified mental health care and health care access as the top two community needs for the Great Rivers Region.
- Spring closures of nearby facilities in Eau Claire resulted in a drastic reduction of mental health resources in this part of the state – Bellin Health and Gundersen Health System completed their merger of equals in late 2022 and announced they are becoming Emplify Health.
Heather Schimmers, Gundersen region president of Emplify Health, said the additional beds have already made a tremendous difference locally and have allowed inpatient support from its colleagues at Bellin Psychiatric Center in Green Bay.
“The opening of additional mental health services at Gundersen La Crosse Hospital would not have been possible without the work of Emplify Health to navigate complex and intertwined reimbursement, regulatory and workforce challenges that face mental health and substance use disorder service providers,” Eric Borgerding, president of the Wisconsin Hospital Association, said. “We appreciate Emplify Health and the many other hospitals and health systems across Wisconsin that step up to take on or expand critical services when no one else will.”
