Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby, Pa., closed its 21-bed inpatient behavioral health unit, effective Oct. 26.
The hospital, part of Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health, shuttered the unit after "operational and financial challenges made it difficult" to continue to provide behavioral health services, Jason Griffith, a spokesperson for Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, said in a statement shared with Becker's.
"After exhausting all available options, we made the difficult but necessary decision to close our 21-bed inpatient behavioral health unit," according to the statement. "We are committed to helping our patients find the care they need and will work closely with community providers to ensure a smooth transition."
The closure adds to a growing access problem for behavioral health services in Delaware County, which aims to build a new facility in partnership with an unidentified healthcare provider, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal.
Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic operates four other hospitals in the region: Nazareth Hospital in Philadelphia, St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, Pa., and Saint Francis Hospital in Wilmington, Del.