A new psychiatry inpatient unit opened its doors at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital on Monday morning.
The Carole and Andrew Harper Psychiatry Inpatient Unit “is a milestone for mental health care at the hospital,” according to psychiatrist-in-chief Dr. Karl Looper.
Dr. Looper said the new unit will allow hospital staff to better meet the mental health needs of Montrealers, in the present and future.
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The newly renovated space includes 48 private rooms, a designated geriatric section within the unit and four intake rooms, the hospital indicated in its press release.
The unit spans 2,600 square metres, close to double the size of the previous space — thanks to gracious donors.
It also includes family conference rooms, a large occupational therapy room and three activity centres.
”(It) represents our dedication to delivering mental-health services in surroundings that are bright, airy, respectful of privacy and conducive to healing,” Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, president and CEO of CIUSSS West-Central Montreal, said in the press release.
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“We can more effectively treat and view the patient as a whole person, who is seen not only as an individual, but as someone whose recovery is based on strengthening their connection to their family and the wider community.”
The site was originally used to conduct surgeries which was swiftly moved in 2016 to a brand-new facility.
The Jewish General Hospital (JGH), the JGH Foundation and CIUSSS West-Central Montreal marked the grand opening of the new unit with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.