Construction Starts On New Short-Stay Units At Butler Hospital In Providence

PROVIDENCE, RI — Care New England Health System has begun construction of a 25-bed short stay unit at Butler Hospital in Providence, Gov. Dan McKee said Wednesday.

Renovations for the new unit at the psychiatric hospital are funded through the RI State Fiscal Recover Fund (SFRF), to recover from the pandemic, as approved in McKee's budget.

"This important project will provide behavioral health care through mental health and substance abuse treatment, crisis intervention, and other services," McKee said. "This project falls under one of the three pillars of our administration's Rhode Island 2030 Plan — to create a healthier Rhode Island where we reduce chronic illness and improve health outcomes."

State officials said the 25-bed short stay unit will allow patients with mental health needs to seek treatment at the new facility instead of overcrowded emergency rooms at local hospitals.

The unit will be designed to accommodate several patient populations achieved through flexible pod systems to ensure that access to care is not impacted by physical space limitations, state officials said. Examples include the ability to flex up or down adolescent beds, provide isolation rooms, and help various adult populations to ensure the system remains flexible and nimble.

"The short stay unit will address the growing mental health crisis and make the delivery of service more immediately available by creating a space for the initiation of treatment outside of emergency rooms for those seeking help for behavioral health issues,"state Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Ana Novais said. "This unit will help us address our strategic priority focused on addressing addiction, improving behavioral health, and combatting stigma."

The construction manager is DPR Construction, and the architect for the project is CannonDesign. The engineers are from BR+A Consulting Engineers. State officials said the renovated site is set to open in 2024.

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