Prisma Health is taking a bold step to expand behavioral health services in South Carolina’s Upstate region with a planned inpatient behavioral health hospital.
"South Carolina is no stranger to the behavioral health crisis sweeping our nation, and the inpatient and outpatient services in our state to support our citizens are woefully insufficient," said South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. "This project is an important step forward in addressing the statewide need for an expansion of behavioral health services whenever and wherever possible."
Five things to know:
1. Prisma Health is planning a $138 million inpatient behavioral health hospital in Pickens County, S.C. The new facility, pending certificate of need approval, aims to meet the increasing demand for mental health services in the Upstate region.
2. This new 132,430-square-foot hospital will replace the existing 65-bed Marshall I. Pickens Psychiatric Hospital and expand capacity to 112 beds, including a significant increase in child and adolescent services — from 10 to 40 beds — making it the only facility in region equipped to provide comprehensive psychiatric care for younger patients.
3. The project is being supported by a $100 million state fund appropriated by the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, underscoring the state’s commitment to expanding mental health services through public-private partnerships.
4. With a shortage of behavioral health beds statewide and rising mental health needs in the Upstate, the new hospital will reduce the need to transfer patients to distant facilities, keeping care closer to home and increasing local access to psychiatric treatment
5. To support the demand for mental health professionals, Prisma Health has quadrupled its psychiatric staff in recent years and launched new residency and fellowship programs, ensuring a steady pipeline of trained professionals to meet long-term community needs.
"This project is a powerful example of what we can accomplish through public-private partnerships and is a significant and much-needed step forward for our communities and state," said Mark O’Halla, president and CEO of Prisma Health. "By doubling our inpatient capacity and creating a state-of-the-art, healing-centered facility, Prisma is bringing essential behavioral health services closer to home. As a safety-net provider, Prisma Health is committed to caring for all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, which means operating the facility with an annual financial loss. This project is only possible due to the state’s investment, which enables us to meet the growing need for behavioral health care in our communities. We are honored to partner with the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to address the critical need for compassionate, leading-edge behavioral health care in South Carolina, and extend our heartfelt thanks to Governor McMaster and our state leaders for making such a meaningful investment in the future of behavioral health in South Carolina."