CHI Franciscan

CHI Franciscan Health and MultiCare Health System, the two preeminent health care providers in Pierce County, have come together to respond to the community's behavioral health need jointly through their nonprot corporate partnership, Alliance for South Sound Health. The mission of Alliance is to facilitate the much-needed development of a full continuum of integrated high- value behavioral health services for the South Sound communities. IMPROVING CRITIC AL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE FOR ALL WASHINGTON STATE RANKS near the lowest in the nation in terms of inpatient psychiatric capacity. The national average is 26.1 beds per 100,000 residents, and Washington averages 8.3 beds. The situation is even more critical in Pierce County, which ranks at the bottom of all counties in Washington with 2.8 beds per 100,000 residents. Pierce County has the second highest use of inpatient psychiatric services of any county in Washington, and Pierce County does not have any community-based psychiatric hospitals. The only existing capacity within Pierce County is the 23-bed psychiatric unit operated by CHI Franciscan St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma. Alliance is building a 120-bed psychiatric hospital, which will fill the critical gap in the behavioral health care continuum by providing vital inpatient psychiatric services as well as crisis intervention. The new hospital, planned to open in 2018, will share a general campus with MultiCare Allenmore Hospital and will draw from CHI Franciscan and MultiCare medical staff to provide medical consultation as needed. Along with inpatient hospital services providing both voluntary and involuntary treatment, the hospital will provide crisis stabilization and outpatient services. Future program expansion may include intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization services and a program designed to meet the needs of active and retired military service members. Above all, these services will be provided in a safe, therapeutic environment of care that is compassionate and family-centered. Both providers and treatment modalities will be of the highest quality to serve a program designed to provide the strongest outcomes. The Alliance will also serve as a catalyst to bring all providers together to fully coordinate the behavioral health care needs in the region. The hospital will be the anchor and convener of a much broader continuum of coordinated behavioral health services. Through Alliance, mental health experts, outpatient behavioral health providers, physicians, law enforcement, first responders and social services programs will work together to create a broad, collaborative behavioral health system of care that delivers opportunities for hope and recovery. For information about how to support this initiative, please call the Franciscan Foundation at 253-428-8411. "CHI Franciscan Health's Prevent- Avert-Respond (PAR) Mental Health Initiative and the new joint-venture hospital will serve a critical need for many people in our communities. We are committed to help meet the behavioral health needs for residents through innovative initiatives and partnerships. Proactive recognition and prevention of mental health crises is a critical component of delivering the right care, at the right place, at the right time. Philanthropic support ensures us the opportunity to serve our most vulnerable community members as we work to fulfill our mission to create healthier communities." GREG UNRUH, FRANCISCAN FOUNDATION PRESIDENT chifranciscan.org /// CHI FRANCISCAN HEALTH 5

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