Arizona orders St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Center shutdown

In a significant development, St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Center was ordered to cease operations by the Arizona Department of Health Services, leading to the furlough of most of its employees. The state has suspended the facility’s license, citing serious concerns that have yet to be fully disclosed.

According to state officials, the air conditioning system at St. Luke’s broke last week, bringing the temperature in the lobby to 99 degrees and the adolescent playroom to 87 degrees. State investigators also said that the facility was short-staffed, had broken elevators and said that the kitchen where meals were prepared was unsanitary.

This abrupt closure has left many wondering about the future of mental health services in the region and the impact on patients who rely on St. Luke’s for care.

Stephanie Innes, health reporter for The Arizona Republic, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the reasons behind the shutdown, the implications for the employees and patients and what might come next for the facility.

“There are 127 beds in a psychiatric hospital [at St. Luke’s]. Steward Health in Arizona has 415 beds, which, when you consider the state has 15,000 hospital beds, maybe that doesn’t sound like a huge number, but 127 psychiatric beds is very big. They’re very sought after and needed and they serve a population of people who are on Medicaid, so it is very critical,” Innes said.

A hearing is set for Aug. 29 and the state Health Department put Steward Health on notice that it intends to revoke the facility’s license. As the situation unfolds, this decision raises critical questions about the oversight of behavioral health services in Arizona and the state’s approach to addressing these challenges.