Samaritan Unveils Expanded Emergency Department Behavioral Health Unit

Published on: September 10, 2024

Watertown, NY – Samaritan Medical Center officials unveiled the newly expanded Behavioral Health Unit within the Emergency Department with an open house and ribbon cutting event on Friday, September 6, 2024. The Mart Liinve Behavioral Health Unit expansion was designed to meet the increased need for mental health services in our region.

“This ribbon cutting and open house event allows us to showcase true community support of mental health resources in our community and the help of our extremely generous supporters and community mental health partners,” said Thomas H. Carman, president and CEO. “Today we are celebrating a needed expansion inside our busy emergency department to stabilize and care for the patients, adults and children, who are having a life-threatening mental health crisis.”

The new space features 12 secure rooms, an increase of seven, four comfort rooms with special padding on the walls and floors that will be safer for patients with special needs, larger rooms for the patient, their families and the care team, an overall more calming space for patients, and a more secure space for staff.

Samaritan’s Emergency Department sees approximately 40,000 patients a year. Of these patients, many are facing a mental health crisis and may be a danger to themselves or others. Samaritan is the only hospital in Jefferson County that can treat and stabilize patients that need hospital care for a mental health emergency. Under the New York State Mental Hygiene Law, Samaritan is what is called the designated 9.39 hospital in Jefferson and Lewis Counties, and as such can offer adult patients access to inpatient treatment if necessary and can hold pediatric patients until proper inpatient placement is available to them. In 2022, Samaritan cared for 1,712 adults and 446 children. In 2023, cared for 1,804 adults and 428 children. And year to date for 2024 have seen 847 adults and 240 children.

“When the original Mart Liinve Behavioral Health Unit was opened in 2010, the five-bed secure behavioral health unit was adequate space for the patients being treated,” said John Green, RN, vice president patient care services and chief nursing officer. “In 2021 Emergency Department leadership and administration recognized the need for a significant investment and re-tooling of current space to accommodate our increased average census and allow a better space for patients.”

“This new construction allowed us many more amenities for the safety of patients and staff,” added Tina O’Neil, director of mental health services. “Beyond simply adding more rooms for patients, the space is less institutional, more therapeutic and outfitted to withstand the challenges that come from a mental health crisis. The space is more inviting and calming for all.”

During the ribbon cutting event, Mr. Carman thanked the generous donors who supported the need for increased mental health services in our community. The leading donors to this project were Mart Liinve, Jefferson County Community Services and Board of Legislators, Mary and Ted Mascott, Children’s Miracle Network of Northern New York at Samaritan, Samaritan Medical Center Foundation donors along with Foundation event proceeds from A North Country Festival of Trees and the Thousand Island Golf Tournament. A special thank you was given to Tim Reutten, Jefferson County Director of Community Services and county officials who were instrumental in making this expansion possible by allotting some of the County’s opioid settlement funds to this project.

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