Mental health unit returns to Kingston Hospital

Kingston’s HealthAlliance hospital cut the ribbon on 20 inpatient mental health care beds Monday, after its 60 mental health and detox beds shut down in 2020.

The 20,000-square-foot space underwent a renovation to bring one-third of its beds back. Opening to the public on Dec. 17, in-patient care now includes semi-private and private patient rooms, support spaces, a quiet room with audio-visual entertainment and a nursing station.

County Executive Jen Metzger was one of the officials to call for the return of the unit in 2020. Now, she said it’s a good start for supporting mental health in the area.

“We’ll all be watching to make sure that capacity is sufficient for the community,” she said. “We will see, but we’re excited. This is a very positive first step.”