New center will serve patients ages 13 and older to ensure a continuum of care and meet the valley’s significant need for psychiatric services
Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center, part of the Sunrise Health System located at 9300 W. Sunset Road in Las Vegas, broke ground today on the Behavioral Health Center at Southern Hills Hospital, a new 80-bed psychiatric center and the only one in the fast-growing southwest valley.
Adam Rudd, chief executive officer of Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center, was joined by Clark County Commissioner Susan Brager, District F; Nevada State Senator Becky Harris, District 9; Nevada State Assemblyman Steve Yeager, District 9, and Assemblywoman Ellen Spiegel, District 20, in a brief ceremony that marked the beginning of construction of the project that is expected to take approximately 12 months to complete.
Spanning 43,350 square feet, the new Behavioral Health Center will treat patients as young as 13 years of age and features cutting-edge patient tracking and safety systems. This includes real time location systems, laser curtains in the adolescent unit between beds, alarms on top of the doors to detect weight and other anti-ligature/ligature prevention technology. The center is being built at a cost of approximately $26 million.
“The Behavioral Health Center at Southern Hills Hospital addresses the critical need for new mental health resources in Southern Nevada,” said Adam Rudd, chief executive officer of Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center. “Presently, behavioral health patients are often treated in an emergency room and remain in the ER environment until a hospital bed is available. With this new unit dedicated to behavior health treatment, our patients will experience a more efficient and appropriate continuum of care addressing their specific needs throughout their hospital stay.”
“This new center will go a long way in meeting the critical need in our community of helping those with mental health issues,” said Clark County Commissioner Susan Brager. “Not only is this center a direct benefit to patients, it is a great resource for families and caretakers and the community at large. We commend the leadership of Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center for their plan to develop a large and top-notch Behavioral Health Center right here in Southern Nevada.”
The new center represents an expansion of Southern Hills’ existing psychiatric services and adds 40 adult beds, 20 adolescent beds and 20 geriatric beds. Four outdoor recreation areas, specifically for psychiatric patients, will offer enhanced opportunities to receive therapy in a pleasing and comforting outdoor environment. Additionally, the hospital’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) program will begin offering a psychiatry residency in 2018, timed with the opening of the new facility.
In 2012, Southern Hills created RISE (Respect, Inspire, Strengthen, Empower) Behavioral Health services for its 14-bed inpatient unit for seniors that was expanded in 2014 to include outpatient services and is certified for its Alzheimer’s disease program by The Joint Commission. When the new Behavioral Health Center opens, the RISE unit will transfer to the new center, with the geriatric psychiatric program retaining its name as RISE Behavioral Health.
About Southern Hills Hospital
Southern Hills Hospital provides the communities of southwest Las Vegas with emergency and pediatric emergency services via two ER locations, a behavioral health program, an accredited Chest Pain Center, a Certified Primary Stroke Center, a dedicated orthopedic and spine unit, OB-GYN, Level II NICU, diagnostic imaging and surgical services. Utilizing advanced digital technology and an accomplished medical staff, Southern Hills Hospital’s advanced care and superior service make for better outcomes and an exceptional patient experience. In 2016, Southern Hills Hospital opened a second emergency room called ER at The Lakes, a full service emergency room that is just four miles north of the main hospital campus. This hospital-based ER is the first of its kind in Nevada. In 2017, Southern Hills Hospital added a newly created Graduate Medical Education program with its inaugural class in Family Medicine. The hospital is a member of the respected Sunrise Health System comprised of Sunrise Hospital, Sunrise Children’s Hospital, MountainView Hospital and several surgery and diagnostic imaging centers to offer a complete range of specialized and technologically advanced services. Need to find a physician or get answers to your health questions? Call our free, 24/7 line at 702.916.5023. For information on Southern Hills Hospital, visit www.southernhillshospital.com.
