SPOKANE, Wash. – Healthcare workers in Spokane are organizing a rally to protest the closure of the 22-bed adolescent psychiatric unit at Sacred Heart Medical Center.
Providence Health & Services announced on Aug. 28 that the unit will close on Sept. 7.
The rally, scheduled for Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. in Cowley Park, will feature several speakers, including Dr. Coralyn J. Alexander, Craig Kisler, Spokane City Council member Michael Cathcart, Spokane Labor Council President Jim Tieken, Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) Executive Director David Keepnews and WSNA President Justin Gill. The event will focus on the potential impact of the closure on local families and mental health services.
The press release said that the unit has been crucial for patients with severe mental health issues and offered continuous mental health counseling and family therapy. According to the press release, Providence has not proposed alternatives for acute adolescent mental health care, and the only other local facility, Inland Northwest Behavioral Health, does not serve children under 12 or those with complex diagnoses.
According to the press release Providence plans to shift adolescent mental health care to the pediatric emergency department and other hospital units, but no additional dedicated staff or resources are planned. The press release said that critics argue that Providence could have avoided the closure by accepting grant funds intended to improve the unit, which were declined due to a requirement to commit to long-term care.
