BEAUMONT, Texas — Beaumont Baptist Hospital is preparing to expand, announcing today that it has received new state funding to address mental health.
"It's the only inpatient behavioral health hospital in Southeast Texas and so with this new project we're going to be expanding by 72 beds," CEO Justin Doss told 12News.
With this expansion, Baptist Hospital of Southeast will have a total of 132 beds, new sensor rooms, and open therapy spaces.
"The building is going to go up one floor and completely out the back, so our plan is to expand out the back, build out those new beds and we'll shuffle patients from the main part of the hospital to the back section," Doss said.
The renovation will be around $70 million, and Doss credits house speaker Dade Phelan for securing the funding.
"The fact that Dade Phelan and the Texas legislature got us $70 million to improve our facility to reflect the level of care that our team provide is is absolutely amazing," said Ross.
Phelan is also excited about the opportunity that this expansion will bring for the children of Southeast Texas.
"The pediatric side of this is huge. We don' t have enough beds for pediatrics or children who are having behavioral and mental health issues," said Phelan.
Phelan, who was in attendance for the big announcement, thinks that the expansion will also benefit law enforcement and first responders.
"They can send them to the ER for thousands of dollars a night, or they can put them in jail, or they can find them a bed here and treat them," Phelan said.
This comes at a critical time with mental illness on the rise in Southeast Texas.
"We're seeing about a 30 percent yearly increase in the need for mental health services in our service area," Doss said
Doss says these new upgrades are key to better serving the community.
"It's really time to grow and expand and really improve on what we have," Doss said.