HAMPTON, Va. — Riverside Health will open the doors of Virginia's first standalone psychiatric emergency department this fall.
“We’ve all probably visited an ER or ED at some point in time," said Stacey Johnson, the president of Riverside Mental Health and Recovery Center. "The lights are bright, the beeps are loud.”
It’s an environment Riverside Health leaders said could overwhelm patients experiencing a mental health emergency. So, they developed a much calmer space at the Riverside Mental Health and Recovery Center in Hampton.
“To help de-escalate and start that patient on their care journey,” Johnson explained.
On Thursday, officials and staff with the hospital system held a ribbon cutting to mark a new beginning.
“It’s a great opportunity to let the community know we are here, to celebrate our team that’s worked so hard in building this program,” Johnson said.
Inside, she said slanted counters and weighted furniture aid in providing a safe and soothing atmosphere for patients.
“That really is all by design and by intent so folks aren’t able to harm themselves in our facility,” she said.
Johnson said the idea behind this project developed about three years ago after identifying the need for more mental health care in Hampton Roads.
“Over the years, we have seen the growing demand for a specialized care facility for patients in urgent need of mental health or substance-use care and, as a result, broke ground on the new psychiatric ED in 2022,” said Mike Dacey, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer for Riverside. “This new facility will provide patients with a unique, patient-focused, calming environment in which they can begin their healing."
“Thank you for delivering on something that is fundamentally going to change the lives of so many people,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said at Thursday's ribbon-cutting.
Leaders said the facility will help ease an overwhelming health system and provide critical support for law enforcement and other first responders.
The 15,800-square-foot facility is specifically designed to care for patients 5 and older who are struggling with mental health concerns and substance use. Separate treatment areas for adults and pediatrics include a total of 20 treatment areas, open community areas, sensory rooms, and secure outdoor areas designed for de-escalation, and on-site lab services.
The facility is set to open later this fall.