50-Bed Child Psychiatric Hospital Opens In Brooklyn Park
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (AP) — A 50-bed child psychiatric hospital has opened in the Twin Cities suburb of Brooklyn Park, replacing a 20-bed facility opened four years earlier in Maple Grove.
The Star Tribune reports the new PrairieCare hospital opened Tuesday and will begin admitting patients on Sept. 8. PrairieCare CEO Dr. Joel Oberstar says patients were frequently turned away due to capacity, and they would have to wait in emergency departments around the state.
Minnesota Public Radio News reports the new facility adds more than 20 percent to the state's bed capacity for child and adolescent psychiatric care.
Jennifer DeCubellis with the state Department of Human Services says the new facility fills a need in Minnesota, and that it's "critical" for patients to be close to family.
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