“It was just not working,” Lee said about the agreement with the management company.
Lee said there was too much of an emphasis on telemedicine for psychiatric consultations leading to empty beds.
There are now 17 patients in the behavioral health unit, he said.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
The new team includes four nurse practitioners and a dedicated on-site physician to see patients every day.
Kindred took over management of the unit on Aug. 1 and has seen the number of inpatients triple since then.
“For the community, the trust is back,” Lee said.
Total Care Family Practice is providing the medical and psychiatric services for Kindred Dayton under a one-year contract that started in July.
The behavioral health unit opened in 2023.
Lee was named CEO in March. He’s worked in hospital systems for 25 years, including 12 years as CEO at specialty hospitals in Washington, D.C., and Michigan.
Megan Knotts is the new behavioral health director of clinical services.
“At Kindred Hospital Dayton Behavioral Health Unit, we are here to be a facility that meets the needs of the community that were not previously being met, in terms of mental health services,” Knotts said.
Kindred Hospital Dayton is a long-term acute care hospital designed for extended recovery periods. The main hospital has 51 beds.
The 46-bed behavioral unit offers treatment for patients 18 and older, including dedicated services for geriatric patients. The unit offer 24-hour supervised psychiatric treatment and crisis support for mental health issues.
Behavioral health patients with complex medical conditions have access to all of Kindred’s onsite resources including physical, occupational and speech therapy; wound care; respiratory care and radiology services.
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