​ Jefferson Abington Hospital Closes Behavioral Health Unit

ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA — Jefferson Abington Hospital has closed its 23-bed inpatient behavioral health unit to convert the space into an emergency department surge area to handle increased patient demand.

The hospital will continue to provide crisis services and outpatient behavioral health care, according to Inquirer.com.

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In a public statement regarding the change, Jefferson Health leadership said the shift "will better serve our emergency department patients both with and without behavioral health needs."

Patch sent an email to Jefferson Abington Hospital for more details about the closure.

The unit is no longer admitting psychiatric patients. The hospital will still provide crisis services, psychiatric evaluations to facilitate transfers to specialized facilities, and outpatient behavioral health care.

Officials said the closure is part of a system-wide restructuring and response to increased ED demand. The decision follows a recent period of significant financial strain for Jefferson Health and a series of layoffs across the health system.

Hospital officials did not say whether the inpatient psychiatric unit will be reopened in the future.

The hospital has 665 beds and over 5,500 employees, including more than 1,100 physicians, and is one of the largest employers in Montgomery County.