Monday, March, 18, 2024 11:34:57

Hackensack Meridian Health, a New Jersey-based leading healthcare organization, has reportedly closed its merger with the American non-profit behavioral healthcare center, Carrier Clinic. Reportedly, the executives of both the healthcare providers have signed a Letter of Intent as part of the partnership to start an urgent healthcare center in the upcoming year in Neptune.

Sources with the knowledge of the matter state that the two sides have expressed urgency on the merger. Apparently, about half the increase in Hackensack’s emergency room visits in the year 2016 had resulted from behavioral health concerns, when around 2,200 people across the state died of opioid abuse, which is 40% more than the previous year.

Sources further affirm that the two organizations envision to create a 24-hour mental healthcare system with psychiatrists, nurses, and primary-care doctors. Hackensack initially added up to 37 beds for the accommodation of more patients having behavioral health issues and had earlier begun two psychiatry residency programs with ten physicians.

Robert C. Garrett, the Co-CEO at Hackensack Meridian, was quoted saying that the healthcare center is excited about delivering unique clinical expertise and will show a new high-quality and evidence-based model of care. He added that the organization commits to integrate behavioral health into its network for patients’ benefits.

As reported by Carrier Clinic, with the exclusive combination of Carrier Clinic and Hackensack Meridian Health as well as Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine opening this year in New Jersey, it will endow patients with access to behavioral health, nationally recognized psychiatry experts, addiction medicine and integrative medicine, all included in the medical school faculty. In addition, it aligns the strategy with national leaders operating hospital networks, medical schools, and psychiatric facilities, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, the Menninger Clinic & Baylor University’s Department of Psychiatry and many more.

Reports also state that Hackensack’s healthcare network includes 33,000 employees and 16 hospitals, while Carrier Clinic, with 1,000 employees, offers outpatient and inpatient services for psychiatric ailments.