Staff reports 10:14 a.m.
Tuesday, January 7, 2020 10:16 am

PORTSMOUTH - Portsmouth Regional Hospital and Parkland Medical Center of Derry on Monday announced they are increasing their involuntary inpatient bed count in each facility's Behavioral Health Unit effective immediately.

This increase is in response to New Hampshire's critical need to address the number of patients in hospital emergency departments waiting for treatment in a psychiatric setting. Portsmouth Regional Hospital increased its bed count by four to a total of 16 involuntary inpatient psychiatric beds in its 30-bed unit, while Parkland Medical Center added four involuntary inpatient beds in its 18-bed unit.

Emergency Rooms in the state of New Hampshire are continuing to deal with prolonged wait times for some of the state's most vulnerable and acute patients. These wait times are due to limited bed availability throughout the state.

"Portsmouth Regional Hospital and Parkland Medical Center have consistently been committed to providing access to inpatient mental health and given the current crisis in the state of New Hampshire, we felt compelled to step up for the benefit of our state's residents," stated Dean Carucci, CEO of Portsmouth Regional Hospital and Jeff Scionti, CEO of Parkland Medical Center.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu hailed the move, adding, "Providing real solutions to the mental health crisis has been a priority of my administration since day one. We have made huge strides so far and these additional beds are yet another step forward in our goal to make N.H. the gold standard for community based mental health services. A big thanks to Portsmouth Regional Hospital and Parkland Medical Center for their combined efforts in this challenge."

In addition to providing critical inpatient behavioral health services, both Portsmouth and Parkland hospitals provide adult Partial Hospitalization Programs that serve patients in an outpatient setting who may benefit from intensive behavioral health support and psychiatric intervention. Both Portsmouth and Parkland hospitals also have a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week crisis and referral phone line at (603) 433- 5270.

HCA Healthcare, which owns PRH and Parkland Medical Center, is hoping to acquire Frisbie Memoral Hospital of Rochester in a $67 million deal that is now awaiting public comment and approval by the state's Charitable Trust Unit and the courts.