Wednesday’s ribbon cutting that marks the near-completion of Phase 1 of the Maria Parham Health Emergency Department renovation is a giant step toward creating a safer space for staff and law enforcement officers working to help individuals experiencing a mental health crisis get the care they need.
If the final inspections go as planned, the Phase 1 project could open as soon as July 24, said Donna Young, MPH’s communications officer.
It’s been six years in the making, but this phase of the renovation creates specialized space that will serve individuals with mental health challenges.
In remarks during the event, MPH CEO Bert Beard told those gathered that the project is a perfect example of a public/private partnership to make things happen. Tours were offered to show just how the patients will move through the ED more efficiently to get the care they need.
Noting the somewhat smaller waiting area, Beard said “it shouldn’t be about waiting.” Like a home renovation to better accommodate a family’s needs, the ED design and construction better addresses the particular needs of those in mental health crises.
Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame said, “I’m definitely excited about it, especially having the space for the sheriff’s office and the Henderson Police Department to bring people who have mental issues out here and have them evaluated.” Officers will no longer have to sit out here with them 24 or 48 hours at a time while they await evaluation and treatment or transportation to another facility. “And they’ll have a secure location, not only for the deputies but for the staff here at Maria Parham Hospital,” Brame said.
The Rev. Frank Sossamon, MPH’s lead chaplain, spoke about helping to secure $5 million in funding from the General Assembly when he served District 32 in the N.C. House.
Sossamon said the project has many positive aspects, including providing mental health care for patients and protecting the safety of everyone involved, from hospital staff to law enforcement officers who bring patients to the ED for help.
This renovation contributes to the hospital’s role as an economic driver, too, he said.
The event was an official ribbon cutting of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce.
