Dr. John Baker
I have been a psychiatrist in Lansing for over 20 years. I chose to stay and raise my family here because I love this community, its small town feel and how neighbors look out for each other. But our community is facing a rapidly growing mental health crisis and a lack of resources to address it, and we need to do more.
Every day, as many as 30 patients come into the emergency department at University of Michigan Health Sparrow Lansing seeking help for urgent mental health issues. The situation has never been more challenging.
Since 2020, emergency room teams have seen approximately 4,500 behavioral health patients per year, and are on pace to see many more in 2024. These are our friends, relatives and children who suffer from serious illnesses and devastating conditions, from depression and anxiety to mental illness and addiction. They are often in despair and struggling to survive.
Patients are often forced to sit in emergency waiting rooms without the care and support they need. It takes an average of three to four days to find a bed to care for them, forcing patients to delay treatment or travel farther from home to receive care.
“Behavioral health facilities in the Lansing area are overburdened and overcrowded, and emergency rooms are not designed or equipped to treat serious behavioral health issues. The influx of patients to emergency rooms is creating a chain reaction, impacting emergency care clinicians’ ability to treat other patients needing urgent care.”
Emergency departments also cannot provide the comprehensive services that people suffering from mental illness need for long-term recovery, such as affordable housing and employment assistance.
“The causes of the mental health crisis are many, including a worsening drug crisis and an increase in youth mental health issues. These illnesses can be successfully treated if our communities have the necessary resources. Unfortunately, Lansing currently does not have the beds, doctors or support staff to meet the massive need we face.
Many in our community are working hard to address this crisis, and I applaud UM Health-Sparrow’s plans to be part of the solution by building a much-needed new 120-bed mental health facility in Lansing. We can no longer stand by and watch our community reach its breaking point. We must acknowledge this and work together toward a brighter future where all members of our community have access to the mental health care they need.
doctor John Baker is a psychiatrist and medical director of behavioral health at UM Health-Sparrow.
