Sheppard Pratt Unveils Redesigned Admissions And Urgent Psychiatric Care Areas At Towson Campus, Improving Mental Health Services In Maryland.

TOWSON - Sheppard Pratt recently unveiled its redesigned Admissions, Psychiatric Urgent Care, and main entrance lobby areas at its Towson campus.

According to a news release from the organization, Sheppard Pratt is the nation’s largest private, nonprofit provider of mental health, substance use, developmental disability, special education, and social services in the country.

The goal of the redesigned lobby was to create a more welcoming experience for patients and visitors. Newly installed Wood beams, warm colors, and lighting combine for a calming and inviting space. The new area also includes additional consultation and exam rooms.

“Patients should have access not only to care but to care provided in encouraging, inviting, comforting spaces that illuminate the path forward,” Dr. Harsh K. Trivedi, president, and CEO of Sheppard Pratt, said.

Along with the physical renovation, Sheppard Pratt has redesigned its admissions process and model of care within Psychiatric Urgent Care. According to the organization, these changes will allow the facility to treat more patients as the need for mental health care continues to rise nationwide.

“We recognize the critical and growing demand for urgent mental healthcare services in Maryland, and we are working to close this gap by providing the best and safest experience possible for people in crisis,” Trivedi said in a statement.

Sheppard Pratt is an invaluable resource for the local community. According to the organization, nearly one-third of patients who visit its Psychiatric Urgent Care facility would have otherwise required hospitalization. Going to Sheppard Pratt not only connects patients to the care they need but also reduces strain on area emergency rooms.

“The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the existing need for mental healthcare services across the nation, driving more patients to emergency departments that are unable to accommodate the increased need,” hospital officials said in a news release.

Sheppard Pratt’s Psychiatric Urgent Care services have been offered at the Towson campus since 2011 and at the Baltimore/Washington campus in Elkridge since 2021. According to the organization, the redesign was paid for with nearly $1 million in state funding and additional funding from the Hearst Foundations, Kahlert Foundation, Middendorf Foundation, and the Women’s Hospital Foundation.