McLaren psychiatry unit to close in midst of health care industry challenges
LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital has announced the upcoming closure of its geropsychiatry unit.
The department provides mental health services to seniors, but McLaren said because of ongoing challenges, the unit will shut down on April 11.
According to an internal memo obtained by News 10, the unit’s nursing staff were notified of the closure, and their collective layoff, on March 24.
The memo came from the hospital’s Chief Nursing Officer and stated that the closure is a result of “very real changes that healthcare organizations are undergoing, and the need for McLaren Greater Lansing to maintain strong economic stability.”
The announcement came as a disappointment to Michigan State University Department of Psychiatry Chair, Dr. Jed Magen.
“Well, I think any time you lose mental health resources, of course, it’s unfortunate,” he told News 10. “Sometimes there are fiscal realities.”
MSU Health Care has been overseeing and staffing McLaren’s geropsychiatric unit since 2021, not by Magen directly, but by his colleagues.
“So, it’s a 15-bed geropsychiatry unit, and typically geropsychiatry units will admit people with dementias, depressions and other kinds of behavioral disorders in late life,” he said.
The most recent numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that suicide rates are highest among people aged 85 and older.
Magen said the unit’s closure is only another sign that mental health funding has plummeted, while the need for services continues to grow.
“It’s much more immediate if you have diabetes or if you have cancer, and so mental health funding hasn’t been a priority in the past, and it’s certainly not a priority for the insurance companies either.” he said.
In a written statement, a spokesperson for McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital told News 10 the decision to close to geropsych unit was difficult, and that the closure is due to a number of factors, including a “decline in patient volumes, a shortage of specialized providers, and an uncertain health care reimbursement landscape.”
The statement continues as follows:
“Hospital leadership is carefully assessing how we can better meet the needs of our patients, with the goal of reestablishing a service that is more aligned with the evolving needs of those we serve. We understand that change can be difficult, and we deeply regret the impact this has on our dedicated team members. We are working closely with them to provide opportunities within our organization whenever possible.
Above all, our priority remains the well-being of our patients. The unit serves approximately eight patients at any given time. We are committed to completing the care of our current patients and ensuring that those in need of geropsychiatric care have access to resources in our community, and we will assist in connecting them to the support they require.
We appreciate the understanding and support of our community as we navigate this transition, and we remain dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality care for all.”
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