<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=029Dxw_16TQACrm00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=029Dxw_16TQACrm00" width="1200" height="600" >UPPER MICHIGAN (WLUC) - TV6 has already told you that Michigan has a shortage of available inpatient mental health treatment options, and that this is especially true in the Upper Peninsula.Still, health care professionals say the shortage goes beyond available beds and staff. According to a 2024 Treatment Advocacy Center report, there should be an optimal number of 60 psychiatric beds per 100,000 people. Michigan only has about 19 beds per capita.The U.P. also only has two hospitals with inpatient mental health services available. UPHS-Marquette houses 37 adult psychiatric beds, and MyMichigan Medical Center-Sault has 20--that makes 57 beds in the U.P., or about two beds per capita for a population of 30,000. Yet, UPHS-Marquette only operates 20, while MyMichigan manages 12, reducing the U.P.’s bed per capita by half.UPHS-Marquette registered nurse Olivia Koepp, who is also part of the MI Nurses Union, says the hospital has enough staff to provide good care for the beds they have. However, she says a lack of outpatient care options and providers is what prevents more beds from opening up.“Generally, more outpatient resources would allow people to step out of a hospital setting quicker and more safely, and then free up those beds for the next person that needs that acute crisis stabilization,” Koepp said.UPHS-Marquette says balancing the demand for available beds with staff is a challenge hospitals face nationwide. In a statement, Market CEO Tonya Darner says, “Maintaining adequate staffing is critical to ensuring patient safety and quality care, and we are committed to keeping safe staffing levels. However, when demand exceeds capacity, it can impact how quickly patients access inpatient care. We continually work to optimize our resources and collaborate with community partners to expand treatment options.”Koepp says the demand can be seen in the emergency room when patients wait long hours for a bed there. She’s heard patients either go home or even drive themselves downstate for care.“Waiting in an emergency department setting when you’re suffering from any mental health crisis is not ideal,” Koepp said. “It’s not therapeutic, and the goal is to reduce that wait time in ERs and get people placed in psychiatric beds as soon as possible.”Regarding wait times, Darner says there isn’t a fixed time limit for inpatient stays.“The length of treatment depends on each person’s progress and stabilization,” Darner said. “Patients who may pose an immediate safety risk to themselves or others are evaluated thoroughly, and we follow strict safety protocols to determine the most appropriate care setting. Our goal is always to provide the safest, most effective treatment possible and to connect patients with ongoing support after discharge.”Koepp says the hospital is also meeting needs through outsourcing professional help, such as finding resident psychiatrists through MSU’s rural residency program or the hospital’s Intensive Outpatient Program.Northpointe Behavioral Health Services CEO Mandy Padget says crisis stabilization units, which provide immediate mental health care, are becoming a popular solution in lower Michigan, but they seem like an unlikely option in the U.P.“We have a problem staffing group homes, staffing psychiatric beds,” Padget said. “We have a problem retaining qualified social workers and other mental health professionals, so crisis stabilization units are a great idea in theory; however, you have to be able to staff them, and that’s where we run into problems.”Still, Koepp encourages people experiencing a mental health crisis to continue looking for help.“I don’t want anyone to feel like that they are not getting what they need out of the healthcare system,” Koepp said. “Rural health care is so hard, but we all have to kinda work together and hang on, help each other the best we can.”When searching for treatment, you may come across coverage difficulties. In part two of this TV6 Investigates, TV6’s Julia Seitz will take a look at how coverage for inpatient mental health treatment is determined and what happens when someone’s insurance won’t cover it. </div></body>

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UPPER MICHIGAN (WLUC) - TV6 has already told you that Michigan has a shortage of available inpatient mental health treatment options, and that this is especially true in the Upper Peninsula. Still, health care professionals say the shortage goes beyond available beds and staff. According to a 2024 Treatment Advocacy...

UP psychiatric bed crisis: a short-staffed system

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UPPER MICHIGAN (WLUC) - TV6 has already told you that Michigan has a shortage of available inpatient mental health treatment options, and that this is espe

UP psychiatric bed crisis: a short-staffed system

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