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.