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Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital opens behavioral health unit, admits 20 patients; outpatient clinic and new specialists coming
Summary
Hospital officials told the Elko County Board of Health that the new behavioral health unit admitted 20 patients in the first 40 days, the hospital has finished an intensive outpatient clinic build-out, and new specialists will begin monthly services; the hospital also reported a 528-shot flu clinic and community outreach events.
At a brief Elko County Board of Health meeting, Steve Simpson of Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital reported that the hospital’s behavioral health unit admitted its first patient on Sept. 5 and has admitted 20 patients in the 40 days since opening. "The behavioral health unit is open … and we are accepting patients," Simpson said.
Simpson told the board the inpatient unit is intended for short, acute stays though length varies by diagnosis and some patients may remain "up to 14 plus days." He said the average age of admitted patients is about 35 and the cohort so far has included 12 males and eight females.
Hospital leaders also said the facility has completed the build-out of an intensive outpatient therapy clinic and is finalizing operational details. "I think that's the game changer in the community," Simpson said, describing outpatient services as critical to expanding local care and keeping patients closer to home.
Simpson outlined recent provider recruitment: ophthalmologist Dr. Michael Griffith will travel monthly from Tooele, Utah, to provide cataract procedures and YAG laser treatments, and urologist Dr. Joseph Drew will restore local urology services that ended after Dr. Brown’s 2023 retirement, offering care for UTIs, kidney and bladder stones, vasectomies and prostate-related care.
The hospital also reported community outreach outcomes: a recent four-hour drive‑thru flu clinic administered 528 vaccines, mobilized more than 80 volunteers including Great Basin College students and staff, and collected roughly 740 pounds of nonperishable food for the FISH food bank. Simpson noted the hospital offers deep discounts on screening mammograms through the fourth quarter to improve access for women over 40.
Simpson closed by thanking volunteers and partners and said the hospital will share its third-quarter quality scorecard at the board's next meeting in January. Final operational steps remain for the outpatient clinic before it begins accepting patients.
The hospital presentation drew follow-up questions from the board about length of stay and the scope of outpatient services; no formal actions were taken on hospital operations.
