UC San Diego Health and San Diego County are partnering to expand the region's access to inpatient behavioral health services.
On Sept. 24, the academic health system and San Diego County confirmed they are finalizing an agreement to add 30 new psychiatric inpatient beds for adult Medi-Cal patients at East Campus Medical Center, which UC San Diego Health acquired in December. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program.
The expanded services are slated to be fully operational by 2026, pending necessary approvals and funding allocations, according to a news release. The two are also considering whether to open a crisis stabilization unit at East Campus Medical Center to better support patients experiencing mental health crises as they transition to outpatient care.
The agreement is expected to close Oct. 31, pending approval from the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.
The expansion is expected to ease strain on emergency departments at other hospitals in the region.
"This enhanced behavioral health services model is an emphatic response to the regional shortage of acute psychiatric beds, freeing up capacity in other medical units to handle rising emergency demands," Jeff Daskalakis, MD, PhD, chair of psychiatry at UC San Diego Health, said in a news release. "It will also strengthen the continuum of care for our most vulnerable community members."