Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus (MMCSC), an affiliate of RWJBarnabas Health, has opened a Medical Behavioral Specialty Unit to care for patients with behavioral health needs. 

The eight-bed medical surgical unit is located in a secured, limited-access area of the Lakewood hospital. It is staffed with a team of nurses, clinical care technicians and mental health associates who are trained in surgical and behavioral health care. 

MMCSC created the facility to care for patients with behavioral health issues who need additional services due to a secondary diagnosis, according to MMCSC Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Philip Passes.

According to Passes, underlying conditions such as heart disease or diabetes often require specialty surgery but go untreated because of patients’ behavioral health conditions. 

“Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus has created a specialty nursing unit to meet all of their health care needs in a nurturing and safe environment,” he added in a March 7 statement. 

Positive outcomes

MMCSC cited statistics from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which found that 1.1 million New Jerseyans over 18 have a mental health condition. Additionally, that research stated that nearly 40,000 residents live in a Garden State community that does not have enough mental health professionals. 

“This new unit is an outstanding example of collaboration among disciplines and allows us the ability to not only care for the medical needs of our patients but also address any mental health challenges they may be experiencing,” said Dr. Frank Ghinassi, senior vice president of behavioral health services at RWJBarnabas Health. 

“Treating patients in this way leads to more positive outcomes and increased patient and family satisfaction,” added Ghinassi, who also serves as president and CEO of Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. 

The new facility adds to the growing number of new mental health centers and programs in the Garden State, including a new partnership between the state and a service called Uwill that offers students access to free care and programming, as well as a new network of prevention and clinical services for Bergen County students and their families, supported by an $8.2 million state grant.