New Behavioral Health Inpatient Facility To Open In Malden

MALDEN, MA — A 144-bed inpatient dedicated behavioral health facility is coming to the site of the former Malden Hospital through a collaboration between Tufts Medicine and Acadia Healthcare Company.

The mission of the facility will be to address the void of accessible, high-quality inpatient mental and behavioral health services in Greater Boston.

"There is a critical need for capacity in behavioral health in the commonwealth," said Michael Dandorph, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tufts Medicine. "Our plans to redevelop the Malden Hospital site into a state-of-the-art behavioral health hospital will help address the constraints on access to care that our health care providers and our patients and families face every day.

"We are proud of the services that MelroseWakefield Hospital and Lawrence Memorial Hospital have provided and these plans expand upon the legacy of high-quality, compassionate care they have long delivered to patients."

Tufts and Acadia said there will be a $65 million investment into the new construction that will replace Malden Hospital with a smaller footprint. They said the project will also include nine acres of conservation and open space.

"Acadia is extremely pleased to be partnering with a premier integrated healthcare system like Tufts Medicine, and who shares in our mission and values," said Christopher Hunter, Chief Executive Officer for Acadia Healthcare. "We look forward to creating this modern, patient-centered facility that will provide life-saving services to individuals and families throughout the region.

"The new hospital will also be a center of excellence for teaching the next generation of clinicians and staff so we can serve the community for many years to come."

The project will go through a local and regulatory review process. Once it is complete, MelroseWakefield Hospital and Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Medford will consolidate their inpatient behavioral health services at the new hospital.

"We are committed to serving the needs of our communities and are excited about our plans to offer state-of-the-art resources in a modern facility that support our dedication to providing quality, compassionate care," said Daniel Carlat, MD, Medical Director of Inpatient Psychiatry and Chair of Psychiatry at MelroseWakefield Hospital. "Hundreds of patients, including adolescents, are boarding in emergency departments for days due to insufficient psychiatric inpatient bed capacity."

A community meeting will be held to engage the public and answer questions on July 19 at 6 p.m. at Malden City Hall.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)