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Date: 8/22/2023
HOLYOKE — The culmination of efforts to provide much-needed support for mental health services in the region took place on Aug. 14 as local leaders, state politicians and hospital executives gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony to announce to the public the new Valley Springs Behavioral Health Hospital in Holyoke.
Located at the former Holyoke Geriatric Authority building, the four-story, 122,000-square-foot hospital has 150 beds as well as rooms for art and occupational therapy, a gymnasium for physical and recreational activity, access to outdoor spaces for fresh air and will be dedicated to addiction or mental health treatments. Expected to open in October, the hospital will provide behavioral health care of children, adolescents and adults.
“The beautiful part about this hospital is it was built from the ground up for behavioral health work, taking into account the needs of patients with mental and behavioral health issues. It’s just been an amazing journey,” said Valley Springs Chief Nursing Officer Peter Keenan.
The hospital will operate in a partnership between Baystate Health and Tennessee-based Lifepoint Health. This will be the 23rd behavioral health hospital operated by Lifepoint Behavioral Health and the first behavioral health hospital built and operated by the company as part of a joint venture relationship.
President and CEO of Baystate Health Mark Keroack said the new hospital would reduce the likelihood that patients needing care would be transferred outside the region. Hospital officials have also indicated that it will increase capacity of inpatient behavioral health care in Western Massachusetts by 50%.
“We now understand more about the role behavioral health plays in overall health. We’re also facing new and growing problems caused by the pandemic and by the ongoing opioid epidemic,” Keroack said.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the mental health crisis in Western Massachusetts was hit with extra hurdles as Providence Behavioral Health Hospital in Holyoke closed 74 inpatient psychiatric beds, ending its child and adolescent psychiatric services and causing a reduction in mental health services in the region.
State Sen. John Velis (D-Westfield) called the ongoing mental health crisis in the state the “challenge of our time.” Velis serves as chair on the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery.
“The three hardest words for any human being to say are also the three most courageous words for any human being to say: I need help,” Velis said.
He added many colleagues in attendance of the event have received calls from people in the community asking for help personally for a loved one and for too long it was not always possible due to lack of beds. Velis said this new facility pushes back on that issue and allows people of all ages to have a place to answer some of these calls for help.
Velis also called on the state to offer better incentives for graduates looking to work in the mental health field as he referenced an interaction he had with Westfield State University students studying to be social workers. He asked the large group of students to raise their hands contemplating going into behavioral health and nobody indicated they were going into the field.
“We need to get people interested in this field earlier. We need to incentivize that. I think today was a really, really, really good start and there are so many people in this room that I respect that I’ve had so many really important conversations about this, but today the work begins. It’s an absolute honor to be here but make no mistake about it, the work begins today.”
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal (D-Springfield) credited the work being done in addressing the mental health issues so many continue to deal with.
“The best way to treat people is in the earlier stages of life so they become used to the preventive services that occur and later on the problems are not quite as severe,” Neal said. “This is not going to be easy. I know that return on the investments is on the margins, but this is going to be a terrific partnership.”
Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia was also in attendance and thanked the Holyoke City Council and other officials for working together in addressing such a pressing issue even though local governing can become complex on projects such as this.
“Here in Holyoke, it’s seamless because we have an incredible team and network that is able to streamline and achieve the level of efficiency we need so that projects like this one can come to fruition,” Garcia said. “As mayor of Holyoke and as a person who grew up among the disadvantaged and disenfranchised, I’ve witnessed firsthand the tragedy of individuals and mental health crisis. We continue to witness their suffering and the need is most certainly there. And now, with the opening of Valley Springs, a good part of that is going to help us meet hose needs, with access and services for vulnerable adults, adolescents and children. We have faith that this state-of-the-art hospital in its clinical programs will alleviate suffering and initiate healing.”
Following the ceremony, attendees were able to step inside the building for a tour of the new hospital.