Texas Health has modified its behavioral health hospital in the mid-cities to treat patients in need of psychiatric care who test positive for COVID-19. Texas Health Springwood Behavioral Health Hospital HEB is making sure patients can get inpatient behavioral healthcare at the same time they’re being treated for the virus.
“Shutting the behavioral health unit down completely was not an option for us, especially amidst the stress and isolation of a pandemic,” said Jay Frayser, administrator of behavioral health at Texas Health Springwood via release. “This is the time when our patients need us the most.”
The hospital is following Texas Health’s PPE guidelines, taking precautions to secure the individual patient rooms as well as the hallway, allowing for patients to interact, engage in group therapy, and have counseling sessions without spreading infection to other parts of the hospital. These services, as well as medication consultations and access to therapists, are important for recovery.
The unit has 10 rooms and can accommodate up to 20 patients, and the hospital is also prepared to open additional space for adolescent behavioral health treatment of youth who have tested positive for COVID-19.
“Other behavioral health providers in the community have informed us that being COVID-19 positive would be exclusionary criteria for entry into their hospitals,” said Scott Domingue, chief nursing officer of behavioral health at Texas Health via release. “The end result of that is an unfortunate situation where patients suffering with mental illness will be hospitalized in non-behavioral health services.”
