MiraVista Behavioral Health Center now open for 24-hour care
HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – MiraVista Behavioral Health Center is expanding its access to help give access to lifesaving treatment for those facing urgent mental health challenges.
The admissions department at MiraVista Behavioral Health Center used to have set business hours, but now the department is open 24 hours a day for individuals in need of inpatient mental health care. The center has 88 beds for patients of all ages, 72 for adults, but also 16 for younger patients aged 13-17, as well as 18-year-olds if they are still in high school.
Westfield to celebrate National Nurses Week with glowing red lights throughout the city
This month is also Mental Health Awareness Month, focused on highlighting the importance of mental well-being, educating the public, reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and promoting support. MiraVista is making sure the community knows they are there to help 24 hours a day.
'MiraVista very clearly understands that when an individual is ready for inpatient behavioral health treatment, we have to be ready, which means our admission department is no longer a 9-5 access point for individuals who are seeking treatment,' said Kimberley Lee, Chief of Creative Strategy and Development at MiraVista.
MiraVista is also the only psychiatric hospital in Western Massachusetts providing direct admissions 24 hours a day. This means designated referral sources can connect individuals seeking help directly to MiraVista without a need for an emergency department evaluation, which can be very costly for someone seeking help
MiraVista said these positive changes are making the process more streamlined, reducing delays and ensuring individuals get the right level of care, at the right time, and in the right setting.
Local News Headlines
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
40 minutes ago
- Washington Post
New York lawmakers approve bill that would allow medically assisted suicide for the terminally ill
ALBANY, N.Y. — Terminally ill New Yorkers would have the legal ability to end their own lives with pharmaceutical drugs under a bill passed Monday in the state Legislature. The proposal, which now moves to the governor's office, would allow a person with an incurable illness to be prescribed life-ending drugs if he or she requests the medication and gets approval from two physicians. A spokesperson for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she would review the legislation.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
New York Moves to Allow Terminally Ill People to Die on Their Own Terms
The New York State Senate approved a bill on Monday that would allow people facing terminal diagnoses to end their lives on their own terms, which the bill's proponents say would grant a measure of autonomy to New Yorkers in their final days. The bill, which passed the State Assembly earlier this year, will now head to the desk of Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, for her signature. It is unclear whether she plans to sign it; a spokesman for her office said she would review it. Eleven states and the District of Columbia have passed laws permitting so-called medical aid in dying. The practice is also available in several European countries and in Canada, which recently broadened its criteria to extend the option to people with incurable chronic illnesses and disabilities. The bill in New York is written more narrowly and would apply only to people who have an incurable and irreversible illness, with six months or less to live. Proponents say that distinction is key. 'It isn't about ending a person's life, but shortening their death,' said State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, a Manhattan Democrat and one of the sponsors of the bill. It passed on Monday night by a vote of 35 to 27, mostly along partisan lines. He framed the measure as a statement of New York's values, citing efforts by Republicans to increase governmental control over people's bodies, including by restricting gender-affirming care and abortion. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
New York lawmakers approve bill that would allow medically assisted suicide for the terminally ill
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Terminally ill New Yorkers would have the legal ability to end their own lives with pharmaceutical drugs under a bill passed Monday in the state Legislature. The proposal, which now moves to the governor's office, would allow a person with an incurable illness to be prescribed life-ending drugs if he or she requests the medication and gets approval from two physicians. A spokesperson for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she would review the legislation. The New York Senate gave final approval to the bill Monday night after hours of debate during which supporters said it would let terminally ill people die on their own terms. 'It's not about hastening death, but ending suffering,' said state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, a Democrat who sponsored the proposal. Opponents have argued the state should instead improve end-of-life medical care or have objected on religious grounds. 'We should not be in the business of state-authorized suicide,' said state Sen. George Borrello, a Republican. The state Assembly passed the measure in late April. The proposal requires that a terminally ill person who is expected to die within six month make a written request for the drugs. Two witnesses would have sign the request to ensure that the patient is not being coerced. The request would then have to be approved by the person's attending physician as well as a consulting physician. The legislation was first introduced in 2016, Hoylman-Sigal said, though it has stalled year after year in the New York statehouse. Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, which has opposed the measure, said 'This is a dark day for New York State.' Eleven other states and Washington, D.C., have laws allowing medically assisted suicide, according to Compassion & Choices, an advocacy organization that backs the policy. Corinne Carey, the group's local campaign director, said lawmakers had 'recognized how important it is to give terminally ill New Yorkers the autonomy they deserve over their own end-of-life experiences.' 'The option of medical aid in dying provides comfort, allowing those who are dying to live their time more fully and peacefully until the end,' said Carey.
