Franciscan Health repurposing hospital for behavioral health
Franciscan says the ability to provide mental health services has not been able to keep up with the increased demand nationwide.
Photo: Basak Gurbuz Derman/Getty Images
Franciscan Health Dyer in Indiana will transition its hospital to a behavioral health services facility by the end of 2027, the health system has announced.
The transition, approved by the Franciscan Alliance Board of Trustees, aims to meet the growing need for behavioral healthcare while supporting the health system's regional approach, Franciscan said.
The health system cited the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which reported that more than 22% of Indiana's adults have mental illness. Plus, more than 27% of young adults have mental illness but only 17% received mental health services in the past year, data showed.
According to Franciscan, the ability to provide mental health services has not been able to keep up with the increased demand nationwide, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT
The transformation into a behavioral health campus by late 2027 is expected to allow for the expansion of the current 92 bed inpatient behavioral health unit and the addition of behavioral health services.
The existing Dyer emergency room will be transformed as well, with the space being used to house a new high-acuity Franciscan ExpressCare for patients seeking medical care, and the addition of an emergency intake department specifically dedicated to behavioral health. Patients seeking emergency room care can seek treatment at Franciscan Health Munster, about two miles away.
All current behavioral health services will remain on the Dyer campus. Inpatient, emergency and surgical services will move from Dyer to the expanded Munster campus in late 2027. Inpatient rehabilitation will also move from Dyer to a new rehabilitation facility on the Munster campus around the same time.
Patients will be notified of pending department and office moves prior to the transition. Current staff members are expected to remain active in their roles at the Dyer and Munster campuses.
The expansion of the Munster campus is already underway and includes a three-story addition to an existing three-story medical structure, as well as the construction of a new five-story medical structure. New medical office buildings with Franciscan ExpressCares in St. John and Valparaiso are slated to open in late 2026.
THE LARGER TREND
Franciscan cited a study published in October 2023 in the Journal of American Medicine Network on the economic burden associated with untreated mental illness in Indiana, and found it was associated with $4.2 billion in annual societal costs. The Indiana Department of Health also reported that 1,136 suicides occurred in 2022, with Lake County having the second highest suicide rate in the state.
Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.
