by Tyler Arnold, The Center Square
| July 15, 2021 07:00 PM
Print this article
More than half of Virginia’s adult mental health institutions are temporarily halting the admission of new patients in response to serious staffing shortages, according to a letter sent out by Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Commissioner Alison Land.
Five of Virginia’s eight institutions have stopped admitting new patients and must reduce their bed capacity limit to reflect their staffing levels. The letter said no person would be unsafely discharged, but the hospitals will not be able to admit new patients until patient volume is low enough to account for staffing shortages.