With Colorado ranking last in the nation for the number of psychiatric beds per capita, HCA/HealthONE is planning a behavioral health care unit specific to the problem.
The unit is scheduled to be built next year at The Medical Center of Aurora North Campus at Interstate 225 and Sixth Avenue.
It will include a 40-bed unit for adult psychiatric inpatient care, the company said Thursday. The cost of the project was not made public.
“At one point in time, Denver and Colorado were known for their excellent mental- health services across the continuum of care,” said Dr. George Bussey, chief medical officer for HCA/HealthONE. “With our new unit and planned partnerships with community behavioral health providers, we hope to once again bring positive attention to Denver and Colorado for its level and sophistication of mental health services.”
HealthONE is the largest health care system in metro Denver. Hospital Corp. of America operates behavioral health care centers in 17 states.
“We are so pleased to be able to provide a continuum of care at our new facility — so that we can address not only the acute phases of illness, but also the follow-up necessary to prevent or minimize the future need for intensive treatment,” Bussey said in a statement.
David Migoya: 303-954-1506, dmigoya@denverpost.com,
