Valley Springs Behavioral Health Hospital opens in Holyoke

HOLYOKE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - Monday marked the start of a new era for western Massachusetts. After at least two years of hard work and construction, a new behavioral health hospital is open in Holyoke.

A large crowd, including state and local leaders, was on hand Monday for the ribbon cutting at Valley Springs Behavioral Health Hospital, a new institution dedicated to addiction or mental health treatments.

“The beautiful part about this hospital is it was built from the ground up for behavioral health work, taking into account the needs of patients with mental and behavioral health issues. It’s just been an amazing journey,” said Valley Springs Chief Nursing Officer Peter Keenan.

The four-story, 122,000 square-foot facility has 150 beds. It operates in a partnership between Baystate Health and Tennessee-based Lifepoint Health. Valley Springs Assistant Director of Nursing Yanawn Johnson said, previously, patients had to be diverted outside of western Massachusetts for help.

“People didn’t have the opportunity to come in and have care that was geared directly towards behavioral health, so I think this gives a lot of people opportunity to have some place to go and for families to be able to have their loved ones be taken care of,” Johnson explained.

Johnson shared some of the new services for patients in the area.

“One of the biggest things is that the facility offers resources across the entire lifespan, from children all the way up to geriatrics, and then, we’ll have the partial hospitalization program, aisle p and outpatient. It gives full continual care for people who went through a behavioral crisis,” Johnson

While there are currently about 100 clinical and administrative employees, Keenan made clear that they are in need of more assistance.

“Nurses, mental health workers, licensed practical nurses, clinical assistants, phlebotomists,” Keenan added.

At the end of the day, the goal is to make sure those who go in the hospital for help come out to live better lives.

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