NASSAU UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER ANNOUNCES THE EXPANSION OF THE CHILD AND ADOLESCENT INPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES
NASSAU UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER ANNOUNCES THE EXPANSION OF THE CHILD AND ADOLESCENT INPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES WITH THE ADDITION OF 12 BEDS, FOR A TOTAL OF 22 BEDS, THE ONLY ACUTE CHILD AND ADOLESCENT INPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC PROGRAM FOR RESIDENTS OF NASSAU COUNTY, SPECIALIZING IN THE TREATMENT OF SEVERELY EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED CHILDREN FROM 4 YEARS THOUGH 17 YEARS OF AGE
—FIRST OF THREE NEW PSYCHIATRIC UNITS TO OPEN IS A FINANCIALLY IMPORTANT INITIATIVE FOR THE NASSAU HEALTH CARE CORPORATION AND PLAYS TO ITS STRENGTH AND EMPHASIS ON QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS—
VITAL SERVICE ENABLES FAMILIES IN CRISIS TO ACCESS EMERGENCY PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK INCLUDING HOLIDAYS, IN THE ONLY DEDICATED ACUTE PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY ROOM IN NASSAU COUNTY—-
East Meadow, N.Y.——-Arthur A. Gianelli, President/CEO of the Nassau Health Care Corporation (NHCC), announced today in the presence of the NHCC Board of Directors, state and county officials, and Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) staff, the expansion of the child and adolescent inpatient psychiatric services with the addition of 12 beds, for a total of 22 beds, the only acute child and adolescent inpatient psychiatric program for residents of Nassau County, specializing in the treatment of severely disturbed children from 4 years through 17 years of age.
“We are pleased to announce that the opening of this unit, the only acute inpatient psychiatric program serving children and adolescents in Nassau County, is a financially important initiative for the NHCC, playing to its strength and emphasis on quality improvements. This program treats youngsters who have severe psychiatric problems that have resulted in major difficulties coping with daily life and who require a safe stabilized environment,” stated Mr. Gianelli.
The inpatient child and adolescent psychiatric program, which includes emergency and elective admissions, provides numerous services to safely stabilize a patient and provide respite for families. These services include comprehensive psychiatric evaluations, individual and group therapy, family therapy and parental counseling, recreational therapy, medication management, crisis intervention, and discharge planning coordinated with referring clinicians and families. The full time psychiatric staff includes two board certified child psychiatrists, psychiatric social workers, clinical psychologists, psychiatric nurses, recreational therapists and support staff.
“Children’s mental health problems cause distress not only for the particular child, but also for the family members. If your child is struggling with emotional and/or behavioral problems, especially if the problems have not responded to outpatient interventions, families should consider NUMC’s inpatient psychiatric services for comprehensive evaluation and treatment,” said Steven Walerstein, MD, NHCC’s Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and Medical Director.
Major issues facing children that result in severe difficulties coping with daily life, may include: suicidal tendencies, aggression, depression, severe anxiety, psychosis, bipolar disorder, delinquent behavior, self-injurious behavior, substance abuse, eating disorders, sexual acting-out behavior, and poor response to out-patient psychiatric treatment.
“Mental illness is as severe as physical illness and can be very painful if not treated effectively. When a child’s emotional problems are very severe, it produces a major crisis for the families. NUMC’s Child and Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Units provide a safe therapeutic environment where the child can be psychiatrically stabilized,” stated Nyapati Rao, MD, Chair of the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department at NUMC.
“NUMC’s Child and Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Unit, designed to let the people of the tri-state area know the expertise of our psychiatric staff, provides a vital service that enables families in crisis the ability to access emergency psychiatric treatment 24 hours a day, seven days a week including holidays, in the only dedicated acute psychiatric emergency room in Nassau County,” concluded Mr. Gianelli.