Brainerd, Minn.-based St. Joseph's Medical Center no longer admits involuntary patients with severe mental illnesses into its psychiatric unit, according to the Star Tribune.
Duluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health, which owns St. Joseph's, said it can no longer accommodate involuntary patients who have been court-ordered to stay in its 16-bed psychiatric unit due to safety concerns for staff and other patients. The hospital now only accepts patients who voluntarily check themselves in — a group that tends to have less-acute mental health problems compared to those civilly committed.
Hospital officials added that involuntary patients stay an average of 40 days in the unit while waiting for space to open up in crowded, state-run facilities. That is almost eight times longer than the average voluntary patient stays.
"There became a huge bottleneck in the state system, and we had to respond," said Adam Rees, president of St. Joseph's, according to the Star Tribune.
Many mental health advocates and state officials have responded negatively to the move, claiming Essentia and St. Joseph's are not considering the wellbeing of patients.
"The patients [Essentia] has decided to turn away are some of Minnesota's most vulnerable people," said Emily Piper, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, according to the Star Tribune. "They are in crisis and should not be denied treatment as if they are an inconvenience."