OLEAN, N.Y. — Olean General Hospital will receive $5 million to help serve patients with psychiatric emergencies.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $39.1 million in state funding was awarded to nine hospitals statewide to develop new comprehensive psychiatric emergency programs. Once established, the programs will increase the statewide total to 31 and provide needed capacity to serve thousands of additional individuals who experience a behavioral health crisis.
“Expanding hospital-based psychiatric emergency programs is a critical component of our efforts to strengthen New York State’s mental healthcare system,” Hochul said. “This funding will provide community-based hospitals with capital to establish new programs, so they can quickly evaluate and provide care to anyone experiencing a behavioral health crisis.”
The program aims to add new comprehensive psychiatric emergency programs, add satellite services, or add children’s services to existing adult programs. The programs must be open around the clock and must provide triage and referral services, full emergency visit services, extended observation bed services and crisis outreach services.
The sites will serve as entry points to the mental health system, and can admit individuals for up to 72 hours if necessary. Access will be available by walk-ins, emergency medical or police transport, or through referrals from providers.
Olean General, part of Upper Allegheny Health System and Kaleida, currently houses a 14-bed inpatient unit for adult mental health treatment. A plan for a geriatric psychiatric unit proposed in the mid-2010s was never completed.
“This is a great first step to allow OGH to transform services and continue to develop new programs to meet unmet mental health needs of the region,” said Joseph Fuglewicz, director of marketing for the Twin Tiers at Upper Allegheny Health System. “We want to thank Gov. Hochul and her administration for this opportunity to help OGH in developing a new outlook for the front door of our hospital, our emergency room. With the support from New York State, OGH will continue to enhance essential services and continue to provide quality care for the Olean community and beyond.”
