HDGH plan for a mental health ER raises eyebrows in Windsor healthcare community

Multiple sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, say they were surprised Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare included a dedicated emergency room in their plans to the province.

On Tuesday, HDGH unveiled their Stage 1.3 plan for consolidating mental health services under one roof.

The plan calls for moving 68 beds from Ouellette campus of Windsor Regional Hospital over to Tayfour Tower at HDGH, an agreement that was reached a decade ago.

It also includes the idea of opening an “urgent psychiatric crisis service” which would be solely for first responders to avoid a traditional ER for people in a mental health crisis.

“There's urgent care you know, in the community for medical assistance. Why can we not do an urgent care solution for mental health illness?” Dr. Andrea Steen said Tuesday.

Bill Marra, HDGH President and CEO told reporters Tuesday the province had previously rejected the idea this past January.

“Maybe it's something we need to revisit with more adjustments and community support?” Marra said at the time.

Several healthcare leaders, who do not wish to be identified, told CTV News Windsor Thursday they were surprised HDGH used the news conference on moving beds to relaunch the idea of a dedicated mental health ER.

They all said the challenge is most patients struggling with a mental health crisis also require help with various physical problems as well.

Creating a dedicated mental health ER, they say, only shifts the problem to a different location, but won’t help patients over the long-term.

Marra said Tuesday they could get an urgent care center up and running in 60 days with a cost of $2.8 million dollars per year.

The sources believe the Ministry of Health would rather spend that kind of money in places where it could do more good, like bolstering counselling or therapeutic services.

Marra declined an interview Thursday and would only write in a statement “We will continue to work through the process with our partners.”

The Ministry of Health and Ontario Health have yet to respond to CTV Windsor’s request for information or comment.