Treating children, adolescents will continue to be emphasized in new MercyOne behavioral health center

MASON CITY — Treating adolescents and children will continue to be an area emphasized at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center’s new behavioral health center.

Behavioral Health Care director Rose Brantner says the new unit will have a few more beds dedicated to younger patients.  “Currently, we have eight adolescent beds, in the new area will we will have ten. That is the one unit that has semi-private rooms, and we did that for a number of reasons, but also because a lot of our patients are 15 or younger, and having a roommate can sometimes be helpful.”

MercyOne Medical Group North Iowa senior vice president Doctor Teresa Mock says the new unit will also have a classroom facility for adolescents to use.  “We do have a full-time school teacher and a classroom on the unit so that when our patients are in the hospital, they are still doing their school work and staying up to date on your homework, so that they’re not getting behind in school. They’ll see us full classroom there, along with all the other therapy that’s provided to them.”

The dedication ceremony for the $10.6 million, 27-thousand-200 square foot facility that sits next to the hospital’s emergency department was held over the weekend.