ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – Two health networks in the Rochester area will receive more than $3 million in combined state funding to improve and expand their psychiatric and behavioral health programming.
On Friday, local health experts spoke with News 8 about the challenges that come with balancing comfortability while providing psychiatric care to patients while also guaranteeing safety.
Chief Administrative Officer of Psychiatry with University of Rochester Medicine Patrick Seche explained his goal has been to provide additional mental health resources to the community throughout his career of more than 25 years.
“Every service we provide is in high demand and the demand has been what’s driven all the expansions we’ve done,” Seche said.
Rochester Regional Health’s Vice President of Behavioral Health Eve Hosford shared why she believes this funding to be an important investment for state leaders to make.
“When people are seeking behavioral health services, they are at a place in their life where they are having a crisis,” Hosford said. “When they are with us, we want to make sure we can be as welcoming and comfortable for them as possible.”
U.R. Medicine will recieve an estimated $2.25 million to expand their inpatient services at Strong Memorial Hospital. This includes the addition of a new psychiatric intensive care unit, separate from the existing Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP). Officials also plan to renovate existing facilities and add six new patient care beds.
“In the community, [six beds] might not sound like a lot, but it’s six additional patients that will not have to sit in the emergency room if they need hospitalization,” Seche said.
The team at Rochester Regional Health plans to add a new outdoor space for behavioral health patients at Rochester General Hospital and modernize existing safety features.
They also plan to renovate facilities at Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic.
“It’s a very fine line for keeping people safe and also being comforting & modern for the people who need these services,” Hosford said.
Hosford shared Rochester Regional Health hopes to make these improvements within the next year. Seche added U.R. Medicine is aiming to complete their renovations by April 2027.
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