RBC | Effective March 10, West Springs Hospital will officially cease operations – nearly 20 years since western Colorado’s only inpatient psychiatric care provider opened its doors.
According to a Mind Springs press release, the organization will ensure a smooth transition of medical records and ongoing treatment to other inpatient healthcare providers. The facility (or facilities) to which patients will be transferred was not specified.
Similarly, the press release stated that hospital staff will receive job placement assistance and counseling services, however, it did not specify the number or staff who will be impacted.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the upcoming closure of West Springs Hospital,” the press release said. “This decision was not made lightly, and we understand the profound impact it will have on our patients, staff, and community.”
Mind Springs Health’s Board of Directors attributed the decision to continuous fiscal challenges, the “uncertain future around Medicaid” and a patient count that consistently falls short of sustainability.
West Springs Hospital is a 48-bed facility, but between 2019 and 2023, the average daily census totaled 30 or fewer patients. The daily patient count rose “as high as 38 in some months,” but nonetheless, it failed to outpace the hospital’s expenses.
West Springs has seen financial struggle since the original building was constructed in 2005, as Mind Springs’s ‘Our History’ webpage noted that “the ’00s were not particularly kind to the organization which struggled to find stability in clinical, operational and fiscal areas.”
The organization saw a sort of renaissance around 2016 when it began fundraising for a new West Springs Hospital facility. Its chief executive officer at the time said the new building was necessary to mitigate a growing wait list (as high as 20 patients) for inpatient psychiatric care.
The $34 million facility was largely funded through donations and grants (private and public), including $2.5 million from St. Mary’s Regional Hospital.
Additional grants, totaling $4.5 million, were obtained from the Colorado Health Foundation, Colorado Health Access Fund, El Pomar Foundation, Caring for Colorado, Western Colorado Community Foundation and the Boettcher Foundation.
Several of the municipalities and 10 counties depending on Mind Springs’s services also contributed to the capital campaign. Given the community involvement in its construction, the press release assured that the public’s donations will not be squandered.
“The Board of Directors understands its commitment in maintaining the building that the community funded and is evaluating other opportunities and potential uses of the building that would still meet vital healthcare needs and maintain a unique gem in Grand Junction,” the press release said.
Mind Springs Board Chair Carlos Cornejo added that the board is considering a transition towards an acute treatment unit or crisis stabilization unit, which some community partners have expressed interest in.
According to the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), acute treatment units serve people who do not require inpatient hospitalization but need short-term, acute psychiatric care for stabilization.
A HCPF webpage defined crisis stabilization units as a similar care model to acute treatment units, but with slightly more restrictions and a stay of up to five days.
Mind Springs also announced that its management agreement with Florida-based Larkin Health System will not be renewed, with the organizations parting ways on an unspecified timeline.
“We are proud of the collaborative efforts and cooperation. As we move forward, Larkin Health remains committed to our mission of providing high-quality healthcare services in South Florida and will continue to seek new avenues for partnership and excellence,” Larkin Community Hospital South Miami CEO Nicholas Torres said.
With that, Torres – the interim CEO for Mind Springs – is no longer a potential successor for former CEO John Sheehan, who departed the organization in November 2024.
The press release added that they are exploring other partnership opportunities.
“We are deeply grateful for the trust placed in us and the relationships we have built over the years,” the press release said.
By JACE DICOLA
GJ SENTINEL