Restoring hope; Ribbon cut on behavioral health wing at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center

WASILLA — Among those gathered for the unveiling of the new 16-bed behavioral health wing at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center on Thursday, the first to cut the ceremonial ribbon were those that had been most affected by the lack of behavioral health services in the Mat-Su Valley.

Parents of a suicide victim stood along Gov. Mike Dunleavy, MSRMC administration, staff, family and friends to open the first facility of it’s kind in the Mat-Su Valley. The 9,000 square foot behavioral health wing features eight rooms and will be staffed by more than 40 employees.

“Since we published our first behavioral health environmental scan in 2014 Mat-Su’s suicide rate has grown from two times the national average to three times the national average,” said Mat-Su Health Foundation CEO Elizabeth Ripley. “Today, with this new unit and with the partnerships and with the coordinated approach to care that we are working on, we will be more responsive and we will save more lives.”

The wing will begin taking their first patients on Jan. 27, the 14-year anniversary of the opening of MSRMC. Last year, more than 32,000 patients came to the emergency department at MSRMC for care and surgeons performed 7,800 surgeries. Ripley discussed the growth of the hospital from the former location in Palmer as Valley Hospital and thanked members of the Opioid Task Force that testified at every hearing for the Certificate of Need. The CON was presented in June 2017 and the project was approved in November of 2017.

“People cared. People came together and they recognized that this isn’t ‘those’ people that have mental and behavioral health issue. There’s no ‘those,’ it’s us. It’s our friends. It’s our family members and sometimes it’s us that need to have this help,” said Dunleavy. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for folks to get help.”

The hospital added additional beds just last March with the opening of the third floor, and with the 16 additional beds now becomes a 125-bed health care facility.

“Our efforts that have culminated in the opening of this fantastic unit will restore hope to the people that we serve here,” said MSRMC CEO Dave Wallace.

Dr. Anne Zink worked as an emergency medical profession for over 11 years and now serves as the Chief Medical Officer for the state of Alaska. Zink discussed what the beginning efforts of offering services to behavioral health patients at MSRMC were like.

“I think about the very first patient that I came here and saw with a behavioral health crisis and I knew that we needed help and the Trooper said this is more than I can handle and I asked for help and the kitchen staff came and the security guard came,” said Zink. “It’s exciting to see us treat the whole person.”

Behavioral health patients will be offered therapy programs in group or individual settings with family support, and services are available for both voluntary and involuntary commitments.

A typical stay will be between seven to 10 days and the unit is open to patients from across the state. Director of Behavioral Health Hope Allison spoke among Dunleavy, Ripley, Zink, Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Adam Crum.

“Without getting too emotional I just want to say thank you and our work is just beginning and we have so much more to do but we’re in it and we’re ready to serve,” said Allison.

Ripley was proud of Allison as the Director of Behavioral Health and said the wing is literally imprinted with Hope.