Community support
sought for behavioral
health project
When Cindy Hargrove, of Lothian, learned
of her niece’s suicide, the impact rocked
her world and the world of her sister, her
brother-in-law and her whole family.
“In July of 2018, my niece, a beautiful, vibrant 22-yearold,
took her own life,” said Hargrove. “How could we
have not seen the signs? What should we have been
looking for?”
In the days, weeks and years that followed,
Hargrove searched for those answers and looked for a
way to bring awareness to mental health challenges and
the signs of distress.
Hargrove is not alone in looking for answers. As
awareness of behavioral health issues has increased,
so has the realization that many people have been
suffering in silence for a long time.
But there is hope.
Facing a Growing Need
Recognizing a growing need for emergency and shortterm
mental health care locally and in surrounding
counties, CalvertHealth Medical Center (CHMC)
embarked on a $5.2-million project to renovate its
behavioral health unit in order to expand its inpatient
and outpatient services.
“Serving our community in the best way possible is
one of the reasons that CHMC undertook this multi-year,
multi-million-dollar effort to provide Calvert County and
neighboring counties with care and facilities that follow
best practices in mental and behavioral health,” said
Vice President, Clinical Services/Chief Nursing Officer
Diane Couchman.
She went on to add, “When the
project is completed, we will be able
to double the number of patients we
can serve. This is a very exciting time
for us and for the community, as well.
We are proud to be able to increase
services for this growing need.”
Planting the Seeds of Hope Challenge
In lieu of a formal gala this year
(due to COVID-19 restrictions), the
CalvertHealth Foundation Gala
Committee decided to challenge the
community to help raise $250,000
toward behavioral health needs.
Cindy Hargrove and Mickie Frazer are
co-chairing these efforts. From now
through December 31, the committee
is asking 250 individuals to give $1,000
to achieve their goal. M&T was one of
the first supporters to the cause.
“We are proud of the physicians,
providers, nurses and other healthcare
professionals at CalvertHealth who
care for our neighbors, friends and
loved ones – especially during these
difficult times,” said M&T Bank
Manager Jake Womble. “We want
you to know we all appreciate your
compassionate, kind and careful
attention to keeping your patients
physically and mentally healthy.”
“The CalvertHealth Foundation
has been dedicated to raising funds for
our local, community hospital for 32
years. And, while 2020 has certainly
been different, neither the needs of
the hospital nor the passion of our
committee has wavered,” said Mickie
Frazer, co-chair of the Planting the
Seeds of Hope fundraising challenge.
“Even before COVID-19, our
committee had agreed to raise
funds for CalvertHealth’s behavioral
health renovation project. Now, as
COVID-19 has affected many of us, we
are realizing mental health is more
important than ever.”
“Community support, like that of
M&T Bank, will help us provide these
much-needed services to our patients
as they seek mental health treatment,”
said Frazer.
“We are asking 250 individuals
who have been impacted by mental
health challenges to give to this
important cause,” said Hargrove. “If
we can get 250 people to give $1,000
each, we will have reached our goal.”
“Thank you in advance for
supporting CalvertHealth as we work
to support those in our community
who need our services the most,”
said Couchman.
Providing Much-Needed Care
Since 2016, CalvertHealth
administrators saw an upward
trend in behavioral health cases and
took action. In early 2019, CHMC
began work on the renovation of its
behavioral health unit, which includes
inpatient and outpatient facilities.
“As the sole provider of inpatient
behavioral health services in Calvert
County, updating the patient areas and
services we offer allows us to increase
emergency and short-term mental
health care,” said Behavioral Health
Unit Director Jennifer Messix, BSN,
RN-BC. When the project is complete,
it will be the largest mental health
center in Southern Maryland.
During the period of January to June
2019, 11 percent of adults 18 and over,
nationwide, had symptoms of anxiety
disorder or depressive disorder. As
the coronavirus crisis unfolded during
the spring, nearly 50 percent of all
Americans reported the pandemic was
harming their mental health.
In Maryland, for the just the
last week of July, a National Health
Information Survey reported nearly 40
percent of those responding reported
symptoms of anxiety or depression
during that week.
The surge in behavioral health
needs due to the coronavirus crisis
is alarming. “The need for improved
behavioral health facilities and
programs has never been greater,
and CalvertHealth is poised to meet
the needs of our Southern Maryland
community with the renovation
that will expand our inpatient and
outpatient services,” said Messix.
The renovation project
reconfigures CalvertHealth Medical
Center’s fifth floor, which houses
patients of all ages, into two wings:
one for adolescents 13-17 years old
and one for adults over the age of
18. Both wings will have inpatient
rooms, dining and social areas,
consultation rooms, staff facilities,
areas for outpatient use, and areas
for substance abuse programs
such as Alcoholics Anonymous and
Calvert County Health Department
programs. CHMC is the only hospital
in Southern Maryland that offers
adolescent inpatient and outpatient
mental health care.
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