LAS VEGAS, Nev. – To foster and strengthen relationships with our community partners a team of behavioral health providers, case managers and specialists from Weed Army Community Hospital toured Desert Parkway Behavioral Healthcare Hospital to view the recently opened, 23 bed wing dedicated to servicing military personnel and first responders June 20.
WACH department of behavioral health team received a top to bottom tour of the facility the opportunity to sit down and talk with their civilian counterparts at DPBHH.
“Desert Parkway Behavioral Healthcare Hospital is vital to the medical readiness and interest of the National Training Center and Fort Irwin Soldiers; and the resilience of its family members, particularly given Fort Irwin’s unique location, medical needs, and geographical constraints,” said Ulu E. Porter, Chief, Department of Behavioral Health at Weed Army Community Hospital.
The National Training Center’s mission is to provide tough, realistic joint and combined arms training for units prior to their deployment overseas. During a unit’s two week intensive training rotation at NTC they are exposed to scenarios modeled after their “worst day ever” in combat. Due to stressors of training in such an austere environment there are times a Soldier may need to step back and seek mental health service from trained professionals.
Weed Army Community Hospital has (this many) behavioral health providers, however there is limited capabilities when it comes time to provide inpatient services to our service members. Coordinating inpatient behavioral healthcare is a critical part of the mission and ensuring that civilian facilities meet the highest standards ensures that the best care possible is being provided.
Desert Parkway Behavioral Healthcare Hospital is a private, high quality, acute psychiatric facility located in the center of Las Vegas, Nevada. Since DPBHH first opened with 83 inpatient beds it has expanded its services to include over 152 beds. Services provided for Fort Irwin’s TRICARE beneficiaries are behavioral and psychiatric inpatient treatment, partial hospitalization programs and chemical dependency intensive outpatient programs.
DPBHH is constructing an 1100 sq. ft. fitness facility which aligns with the Army’s Performance Triad Model of sleep, activity and nutrition to build and sustain personal strength, endurance, and mental agility. DPBHH is the only inpatient facility to provide readily available medical transport capabilities to and from its facility for permanent staff and rotational Soldiers and beneficiaries stationed at the National Training Center. Additionally, they are in the process of planning and developing a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Protocol Program tailored to the unique needs of our service members.
“This is the hallmark of DPBHH’s dedication to our service members with innovative, creative, and outside the box thinking. This engagement and approach is also aligned with Regional Health Command-Central Commander’s Top Priorities [enhancing individual and unit READINESS] and [coordinating the care of Soldiers that are treated in a local network]. Certainly we at WACH not only talk it, but certainly embody and WACH it,” said Porter.
At WACH, providing state of the art medical care to ensure our patients are cared for medically and cared about personally is a top priority, resulting in a Medically Ready Force and Ready Medical Force. http://www.irwin.amedd.army.mil/index.html