Glendora Oaks Behavioral Health Hospital Addresses the Growing Demand for
Senior Behavioral Health Services
Glendora Oaks Behavioral Health Hospital, the newest facility to address
the growing and underserved mental health needs of Southern California,
officially opened its doors today in Glendora, California.
The hospital, originally established as Glendora Community Hospital in
1958 to serve Glendora and neighboring communities, has completed the
transition to a behavioral health facility, focusing on senior inpatient
behavioral health care. The hospital, a member of Prime Healthcare, will
now operate as Glendora Oaks Behavioral Health Hospital.
“For far too long, the number of mental health hospital beds has
dwindled, leaving a significant number of patients and their families
without access to the appropriate level of care,” said Los Angeles
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “That is why the Board of Supervisors
has directed the L.A. County Department of Mental Health to draft a plan
for creating additional mental health hospital beds. We welcome efforts
like the expansion of mental health beds at Glendora Oaks Behavioral Health
Hospital, which are helping to address this critical need for our communities.”
Glendora Oaks Behavioral Health Hospital is the only in-patient geriatric
psychiatric facility in the East San Gabriel Valley, providing a crucial
safety net service to a vulnerable and growing population of seniors.
The 21-bed hospital began exclusively offering behavioral health services
this September following a detailed process to convert hospital rooms
and facilities to care for behavioral health patients. The hospital has
begun the second phase of its conversion consisting of renovations that
will more than double its capacity to 44 beds by December 2020. Plans
are also being made to add more beds and services in the future.
“Our mission has always been and will always be to serve our community,”
said Parrish Scarboro, Glendora Oaks Behavioral Health Hospital Chief
Executive Officer. “While other emergency rooms and hospitals like
our sister hospital, San Dimas Community Hospital, serve the overall medical
needs of our community, Glendora Oaks Behavioral Health Hospital fills
the urgent need for senior mental health services. As the need grows,
so will we, and we look forward to building a healthier community while
also contributing to job growth in the region.”
Glendora Oaks Behavioral Health Hospital specifically addresses a vital
need to increase the number of senior inpatient behavioral health beds
in the County and region. The national target is a minimum of 50 psychiatric
beds per 100,000 residents; Los Angeles County has only 22.7 beds. Since
1995, the state has lost 37 psychiatric care facilities, either through
the elimination of psychiatric in-patient care or hospital closure. In
Los Angeles County, 4.3 percent of adults suffer from a serious mental
illness, according to the California Healthcare Foundation, while statewide
62.8 percent of adults with mental illness did not receive mental health
services between 2011 and 2015.
“We have looked forward to this day for a long time, and we know
that Glendora Oaks Behavioral Health Hospital will have a profound and
positive impact on our community by increasing the much-needed access
to behavioral health services,” said Mike Sarian, President of Operations
for Prime Healthcare.
The hospital is designed to be a calming atmosphere that thoughtfully incorporates
natural lighting, makes use of scientific knowledge around the impact
of color on mood and thought, and importantly incorporates patient safety
features to prevent self-harm. The facility will feature state-of-the-art
inpatient services utilizing the newest technology to keep patients comfortable
while administering treatment during their stay.
Glendora Oaks Behavioral Health Hospital provides both voluntary and involuntary
admissions with a focus on general senior psychiatric care for people
with conditions such as acute depression, suicidal tendencies, dementia
and Alzheimer’s disease, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and schizophrenia.
The facility’s professional clinicians will treat behavioral health
and coexisting secondary medical or chemical dependency conditions.
“Our highly-trained doctors, nurses, licensed therapists, and mental
health professionals are focused on treating the whole person, taking
into consideration their mental, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual
states of well-being,” said Noelle Walsh-Rubio, Chief Nursing Officer
of Glendora Oaks Behavioral Health Hospital.
The hospital is opening its beds to patients in phases, beginning with
21 inpatient beds currently available, with more added over time. The
second phase adds an additional 23 inpatient beds to serve approximately
1,700 patients annually.
About Glendora Oaks Behavioral Health Hospital: Founded in 1958, as Glendora Community Hospital, Glendora Oaks Behavioral
Health Hospital, a member of Prime Healthcare, is a not-for-profit behavioral
health hospital offering expertise and advanced inpatient services that
leverages the latest research and clinical best practices to aid seniors
who are struggling with mental health conditions. We provide quality behavioral
healthcare to the elderly in our community with individualized planning
and ongoing recovery support. For more information, visit glendoraoaks.com.