Adventist Health, Kaiser Permanente, Legacy Health and Oregon Health & Science University are pleased to announce the opening of Unity Center for Behavioral Health. The unprecedented collaboration of the four major health systems will provide care for those in need through a combination of emergency, inpatient and transition to outpatient services.
On Tuesday, January 31, existing behavioral health inpatients from Adventist, Legacy and OHSU transferred to the new facility. On Thursday, February 2, the first dedicated Psychiatric Emergency Service (PES) began accepting walk-ins and transfers from Unity Center partner emergency departments.
The PES is an outpatient service where a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner evaluate patients in a timely fashion and creates a treatment plan customized to the patient's individual needs. The PES is laid out in an innovative "living room" design with recliners, group space and calming rooms. Patients may stay in the PES for up to 23 hours before returning to the community.
"People experiencing a psychiatric emergency cannot always get the help they need, when they need it," says Chris Farentinos, M.D., vice president of Unity Center. "In the PES we hope to drastically reduce the amount of time people have to wait for the appropriate care compared to a conventional hospital emergency room. Giving a person immediate attention has proven to reduce the risk of hospitalization and shows better outcomes."
Other unique features of Unity Center are onsite representatives from many community partners to offer transitional support services and strong peer support personnel. Having themselves recovered from a mental illness, the peers are on hand to help guide patients as they navigate their treatment and transition back into the community.
Unity Center includes 80 adult inpatient beds and 22 inpatient beds for adolescents ages nine through 17. The architecture and various color schemes are designed to reduce agitation and instill a sense of well-being. The facility also includes a pharmacy, spiritual room and a café for visitors and staff. A restful healing garden is planned for summer 2017.
Legacy Health's Office of Philanthropy led the fundraising efforts for the capital campaign to create Unity Center. Thanks to approximately 700 community and individual donors, nearly $41 million was raised over three years, including a $20 million gift from the Robert D. and Marcia H. Randall Charitable Trust.
About Adventist Health
Adventist Health is a faith-based, not-for-profit integrated health care delivery system serving communities in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Our workforce of 28,600 includes more than 20,500 employees; 4,500 medical staff physicians; and 3,600 volunteers. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist health values, Adventist Health provides compassionate care in 19 hospitals, more than 220 clinics (hospital-based, rural health and physician clinics), 14 home care agencies, seven hospice agencies and four joint-venture retirement centers.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and nonprofit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 10 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia, including more than 520,000 medical and 240,000 dental members in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, dentists, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical and dental teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health.
About Legacy Health
Legacy Health is Oregon's only locally-owned nonprofit health-care organization with nearly 12,000 employees serving you where you work, live and play. A comprehensive network of care providers from more than 100 Legacy Medical Group primary care, specialty and urgent care clinics to community-based and nationally recognized hospitals including Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, Randall Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel, Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center, Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center, Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center and Legacy Silverton Medical Center. Legacy provides a vigorous research program at Legacy Research Institute and extensive medical testing at Legacy Laboratory Services.
About OHSU
Oregon Health & Science University is the state's only public academic health and research university. As one of Oregon's largest employers with more than 14,600 employees, OHSU's size contributes to its ability to provide many services and community support not found anywhere else in the state. OHSU serves patients from every corner of Oregon and is a conduit for learning for more than 4,400 students and trainees. OHSU is the source of more than 200 community outreach programs that bring health and education services to each county in the state.
February 3, 2017
