DARTMOUTH — Nursing homes and assisted-living facilities aren’t the only live-in facilities in Dartmouth that have been impacted by COVID-19.
Southcoast Behavioral Health Hospital, a 144-bed psychiatric hospital on Faunce Corner Road, has had employees and patients test positive for COVID-19, according to a statement from the hospital.
The behavioral hospital opened in August 2015 to treat patients with mental illnesses including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, trauma, aggression, and ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder), among others.
The facility has units for adult, adolescent, and geriatric patients and receives patients from area hospitals, including Southcoast Health facilities.
SCBH is a joint venture between Southcoast Health and Acadia Healthcare, a Tennessee-based organization with behavioral health facilities across the country.
The statement from SCBH said patients who developed symptoms or tested positive have been moved to a designated unit with a dedicated staff, including additional medical clinicians, that have appropriate personal protective equipment.
The employees who tested positive are self-isolating at home, according to SCBH.
When asked about the specific number of cases at the facility, the hospital said in a subsequent statement, “We understand that the Mass DPH (Department of Public Health) and others are reporting numbers. Southcoast believes that privacy and confidentiality requirements do not allow for any public disclosures of this sort.”
The statement went on to say the hospital believed it would be violating protocols if it shared more information about the cases there.
Though they wouldn’t share specifics about the numbers, SCBH did say no patient has died at Southcoast from COVID.
SCBH has implemented infectious disease protocols, according to its statement.
The protocols include adjusting their patient admission process to include symptom assessment, review of recent travel history, and survey of potential exposure; performing temperature checks for both employees and patients; utilizing larger rooms for group therapy to accommodate social distancing practices; and implementing the Centers for Disease Control’s recommendations regarding COVID-19 protections, among other things.
Employees are also now wearing masks at all times, according to the hospital, and are continuously educated on cleaning procedures after leaving areas, hand washing, and refraining for coming to work if they feel sick.
SCBH is working closely with public health officials and following CDC and World Health Organization recommendations, “to ensure the well-being of our patients and staff,” according to its statement.