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McDonough District Hospital Adding Services

burlingtonneurology.com

McDonough District Hospital is expanding its services by adding a psychiatric ward. 

The new 12-bed unit, which will cater to area seniors, will be located on the second floor of the new emergency services expansion.

Residents of McDonough County seeking inpatient psychiatric services must travel as far as Galesburg.

John McGuire, MDH Spokesman, said this new addition to the hospital will better accommodate the nearly 42,000 seniors who live within 40-miles of the facility.

"We had been pursuing ways we can help the community with specific service needs, and we thought it was an appropriate thing to build into our whole expansion project."

The hospital has been in talks with local senior groups, nursing home providers and psychiatrists about the need for such a facility.

The Illinois Health Facilities and Service Review Board signed off on the project this week.

Construction of the new emergency services expansion got underway in April.

The project will require a few adjustments by the hospital as it will have to combine the main and emergency entryways.

McDonough District Hospital says the psychiatric ward is scheduled to open July 1, 2015.

The hospital currently has two psychiatrists on staff, but will continue to recruit more with the assistance of Horizon Health, who will also manage the unit.