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Hospital says new freestanding psychiatric facility ahead of schedule, will add adult and geriatric beds
Summary
A hospital representative told the Lee County Commission that construction of a 40-bed freestanding psychiatric facility is ahead of schedule and expected to be completed in September 2025; the current 28-bed unit will be renovated for geriatric psychiatric patients, adding 20 geriatric psych beds locally.
Greg Nichols, a hospital representative, updated the Lee County Commission on construction progress for a new freestanding psychiatric facility that the hospital expects to complete in September 2025.
"We began construction last June," Nichols said during his presentation, and he described current occupancy pressures at the existing 28-bed unit, noting many days above 80% occupancy and some days above 100% when patients are held in the emergency department awaiting beds. Nichols said the new facility will provide a 40-bed inpatient unit, expanded space for group therapy and an accredited school for adolescents.
Nichols told the commission the project is ahead of schedule and that interior work is underway; the hospital expects to finish construction in September 2025 and to complete surveys and move toward opening in late 2025 or early 2026. He also said the hospital presented to the Certificate of Need board in Montgomery and received approval to convert the current 28-bed unit into geriatric psychiatric beds. "Those will be moved here," Nichols said, adding minor renovations are planned to serve geriatric patients and that the county will have an additional 20 geriatric psych beds when the move occurs.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about patient placement and capacity; staff noted that geriatric patients with aggressive behavior sometimes are transferred to locked facilities or retained in emergency departments, underscoring the hospital’s rationale for adding a geriatric unit locally. The hospital included photographs and architectural renderings in its packet and offered to return with further updates if requested.
Why it matters Commissioners were presented with capacity figures and a timeline that indicate expanded local inpatient psychiatric capacity for adults, adolescents and older adults. The project’s schedule and Certificate of Need approval were cited as milestones toward improving access to behavioral health care in the county.
Next steps Hospital staff will complete construction, undergo required state life-safety and clinical surveys, and provide the commission with updates as the facility nears licensing and patient intake.
