staffing

Northern Michigan Grapples with Critical Psychiatric Bed Shortage

NEGAUNEE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A severe shortage of inpatient psychiatric beds is profoundly impacting northern Michigan, with legislators recently hearing testimony detailing the escalating crisis. The Upper Peninsula (U.P.) currently has only two hospitals offering inpatient psychiatric care: UP Health System-Marquette and MyMichigan Medical Center-Sault. However,both facilities report an inability to staff all available beds,contributing to Michigan’s national ranking of 47th for inpatient psychiatric bed availability.

Mental health professionals emphasize that while the issue is statewide, its effects are felt with greater intensity in the northern regions. Kate Dahlstrom, President of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Grand Traverse Board, highlighted the dire situation, noting that individuals frequently enough face average emergency department stays of approximately four days as hospitals search for open beds downstate. munson’s 17-bed adult unit, as an example, is frequently at full capacity.

Dahlstrom, along with othre mental health providers, presented their concerns to the michigan House Subcommittee on Public health and Food Security. Beyond increasing inpatient bed numbers, Dahlstrom urged the state to prioritize a complete continuum of care, including residential services and robust aftercare support. “If you don’t have the whole continuum, including the residential care and all the after care, it’s going to be a revolving door,” she stated.

Citing national research, Dahlstrom illustrated the significant deficit in available beds for northern Michigan. The data suggests a minimum of 30 beds per 100,000 people. For northern Michigan’s population of 500,000, this translates to a need for 300 beds. Currently, the region has only 50 beds, with a critical absence of any dedicated beds for youth.

Physicians who testified pointed to both bed availability and adequate staffing as the core challenges. Legislators have indicated they will review the testimony before determining next steps, though no specific timeline for action has been provided.