BERLIN, N.H. (AP) – The only emergency psychiatric facility north of Concord is closing its doors in July.

Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin handles nearly all of the North Country’s psychiatric emergencies. Ten beds are designated as part of an in-patient psychiatric unit, the only unit of its kind north of Manchester and Concord.

Hospital directors have indicated that another psychiatric unit will be opened in the North Country, but have not said where, or when.

After July, and until a new emergency psychiatric center is established, all North Country patients in danger to themselves or others will be treated at two state-funded facilities in the southern part of the state.

: Cypress Center in Manchester, and the New Hampshire Hospital.

Russell Keene, chief executive officer of the 20-year-old Androscoggin Valley Hospital, indicated that running the psychiatric unit had become a financial drain on the hospital, diminishing its impact on the community’s health care at large.

“It is clear that continued operation of this unit has become financially and operationally inconsistent with our hospitals core mission, which is to provide excellent primary, specialized and emergency medical care to our community,” Keene said.

The hospital had provided the nursing staff for the unit, in addition to the beds. Northern Human Services in Conway provided the clinical and medical staff. The state had provided some funding.

“We will begin to work with Androscoggin Valley Hospital, Northern Human Services and the Legislature to identify another location in the North Country that allows us to continue to provide these services seamlessly,” John Stephen, commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services, said. He planned to meet with hospital officials on Wednesday.

Keene said the Androscoggin Valley Hospital board has directed the hospitals management and clinical staff to discuss with the state an effective, long-term alternative approach to providing behavioral health services to the North Country.

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Information from: The Conway Daily Sun, http://www.mountwashingtonvalley.com

AP-ES-03-07-07 0500EST