NeuroPsychiatric Hospitals

NeuroPsychiatric Hospitals (NPH) is a network of hospitals dedicated to treating patients with major acute mental events as well as concomitant medical and/or neurological illnesses. Patients admitted to a NeuroPsychiatric Hospital are too physically and/or neurologically unwell to be treated in a standard psychiatric hospital, but they are also too mentally ill to be admitted to a regular medical hospital. A 55-year-old patient who is seriously psychotic, a threat to self and others, AND has an infectious condition such as AIDS is an example of a patient who would need treatment in a NeuroPsychiatric Hospital facility. Another example is a 20-year-old with Autism who has strong mood swings, is aggressive, and suffers from excessive mood fluctuations. An 85-year-old man with severe dementia, who is hostile toward others and suffers from acute renal disease and diabetes, would be a third example.

Internal Medicine and Psychiatry collide in Neuropsychiatric Hospitals. Our patients are one of a growing class of patients with few or no therapeutic choices who need full-time care from both medical professions. The majority of NPH sufferers seek treatment in local emergency departments, clogging the system for others while providing little actual therapy. Nursing homes, group homes, other mental institutions, and law enforcement are also other sources of referrals for NPH. Because these hospitals function as a safety net for local communities, all referrals are community-based (not physician-based). NFL stars, professionals, and homeless people are among the patients. These illnesses don't discriminate against any group of people, and they kill patients and their families in equal numbers.