MetroHealth Realigns Behavioral Health Services

In a renewed commitment to provide increased access to behavioral health services, The MetroHealth System is closing its Psychiatric Emergency Department (Psych ED) at the Cleveland Heights Medical Center, effective December 31, and redeploying 35 employees to meet growing patient needs across the community.

The move comes after the Cuyahoga County Council vote last month that directed $7 million in funding to support the construction of a new behavioral health crisis center that will be operated by The Centers. In addition, the $4 million MetroHealth receives annually from the ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County is expected to be diverted to The Centers for the crisis center operations. This reduced funding, coupled with a duplication of services offered by the new crisis center, led to MetroHealth’s decision to close the unit.

“Let me reassure you, we are not walking away,” said MetroHealth President and CEO Christine Alexander-Rager, MD. “We are committed to providing a continuum of behavioral health services and access across Cuyahoga County and we are reimagining what that looks like for our health system.”

MetroHealth provides behavioral health services across its county-wide footprint – both virtually and in-person – as well as in the Cuyahoga County Corrections Center. That includes MetroHealth’s Emergency Departments at its Main Campus and facilities in Brecksville, Parma and Cleveland Heights.

MetroHealth opened its new Psych ED in October 2024, following the closing of St. Vincent Charity Community Health Center’s psychiatric emergency services unit.

MetroHealth operates a stand-alone Behavioral Health Hospital adjacent to the Cleveland Heights Medical Center. The facility opened in October 2022.

Dr. Alexander said the health system “looks forward to working with county leadership on analyzing the behavioral health continuum of care that will best serve patients and the community.”