New Inpatient Psychiatry Unit Advances Care

On June 24, the Central Region celebrated the opening of a 32-bed inpatient psychiatry unit located at The Hospital of Central Connecticut’s New Britain campus.

The unit adds four additional inpatient psychiatric beds to the Central Connecticut region, enhancing access to behavioral health services and increasing the scope of therapy and treatment options offered to patients in our service areas.

“This is a whole new arena of care. We are improving access for all those who come to us, and it’s something to be proud of,” said Lucille Janatka, Central Region president.

The opening of the unit was part of a plan introduced three years ago to expand access to care. The new unit offers inpatient treatment for mental health and substance abuse for patients 18 and older. Inpatient treatment focuses on group therapy, occupational therapy, one-on-one time with expertly trained behavioral health staff, medication management and stabilization, family meetings and assistance with discharge.

The unit’s impressive features were designed with patients’ safety and privacy in mind and include:

• A mix of handicap and bariatric assessable private and semi-private rooms;
• State-of-the-art mood enhancing lighting and a therapeutic sensory room to enrich patient’s treatment;
• Additional group therapy rooms to accommodate an increased number of new treatment modalities such as music therapy, occupational therapy and social work;
• Enhanced security features including upgraded video monitoring and a fully integrated nurse call system;
• And a pristine, soothing color scheme with breathtaking views of New Britain’s rolling landscape.

“Increases in staffing coupled with these accommodations ensure that patients benefit from a broader range of treatment options and clinical interventions that are best practice in the field of behavioral health, said Christine Scully, Central Region behavioral health services director.

LIFE STAR Makes MidState its Third Home