Hospital Moving Forward With Plans for Adult Inpatient Psych Ward

Plans continue to establish what is being called an Acute Adult Inpatient Psychiatric Program at Stephens County Hospital.

At their regular meeting Monday night, the Hospital Authority Board voted to sign a letter to the Georgia Department of Community Health and Human Services requesting the approval of a Certificate of Need.

Hospital Administrator Roger Forgey said the plan is to use some of the 12-13 empty patient rooms on the second floor for the new psych ward, which will be specifically for older patients ages 55 and up.

Forgey told the Board such a unit is desperately needed in Stephens County.

“We think this is important to the future of the hospital,” he said. “We think it’s desperately needed in this community, and hopefully the Board will support the signing of this letter and the Board will support the CON.”

The Hospital plans to apply for several grants to fund the project, according to spokesperson Samantha Rickman.

She said Tuesday it’s not clear yet just how much the project will cost.

Rickman said they first plan to bring in a space planner to evaluate what will be needed and at what cost.

Forgey said Monday the entire project should take six to eight months to complete once the grant funding comes in.

After hearing from Forgey, the Board voted unanimously to sign the CON request letter.