Southern Nevada is adding beds for dozens more psychiatric patients this month, less than a year after a shortage of space reached crisis levels at Las Vegas emergency rooms.
Members of the governor's Behavioral Health and Wellness Council were told Tuesday that Valley Hospital is opening up 20 beds on Wednesday for psychiatric patients. Hospital officials said they plan to add staff in coming weeks to increase capacity to 48 beds.
Several Las Vegas hospitals were forced to turn away ambulances in February due to a high number of psychiatric patients taking up slots in emergency rooms. The state health director at the time said 100 more beds were needed.
The state has since added capacity at Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Las Vegas, and at a mental health triage center.
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