Ahs Hospital Corp.

Community Project Funding/congressionally Directed Spending - Construction - Atlantic Health System, Inc./newton Medical Center 175 High Street Newton, NJ 078 Robert Peake, JR. Tel: 973-971-4959 Robert.peake@atlantichealth.org Www.atlantichealth.org Newton Medical Center of Atlantic Health System Serves the People of Sussex and Warren Counties in the Northwest Region of New Jersey. Newton Is the Only Acute Care Hospital Located in Sussex County, NJ. Like Most Hospitals Around the Country, Newton Medical Center Has Seen an Increasing Need in the Community for Behavioral Health Services. While the Stresses of the Pandemic Have Certainly Played a Role, the Overall Rise in the Need for Behavioral Health Care Predates the Coronavirus Outbreak and Will Continue to Grow When a Degree of Normalcy Resumes in the Daily Lives of Our Patients. in Particular, the Emergency Department (ED) Has Seen a Growing Number of Cases Presenting for Treatment, and These Cases Require Specialized Treatment Areas That Are Removed From the General Population of Ed Patients. the Behavioral Health Patients Being Seen in the Ed Are Increasingly Acute and Include an Increase of Substance Abuse Cases From the Opioid Epidemic and From Alcohol Use. the Patients Presenting for Behavioral Health Care Also Include Adolescents, Children, and Geriatric Patients. Due to the Paucity of Inpatient Beds Throughout the State, Patients Needing Hospitalization Tend to Stay in the Emergency Department for Longer Periods. the Waiting Period Requires the Emergency Department to Draw More Resources to Treat and Safely Maintain the Patients in an Environment Not Intended for Long Term Stays. the Current Capacity in the NMC Emergency Department Is Two Small Secure Holding Areas for Behavioral Health Patients as They Undergo Evaluation and Await a Transfer to an Inpatient Bed If Needed. If a Remedy Is Not Implemented, NMC Will Continue to Overflow the Existing 2 Behavioral Rooms Regularly. to Address This Growing Demand of Behavioral Health Services in the Ed , Atlantic Health and Newton Medical Center Will Add a State of the Science Emergency Department Behavioral Health Suite That Will Include 5 Large Private Rooms in a Secure Area of the Ed, With an Adjacent Overflow Area to Accommodate Surges in Cases. This Capital Investment Will Decrease the Risk of Harm to Emergency Department Patients by Creating a Dedicated 5-BED Behavioral Zone in the Ed. Aggregating 5 Behavioral-safe Rooms Will Provide a Better Environment of Care for the Acute Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Patients. Additionally, the New Behavioral Health Zone Will Ensure a Safer Workplace Environment for Team Members as They Treat This Vulnerable Patient Population.