Main Line Health is closing its Women’s Emotional Wellness Center on June 8, citing difficulty maintaining enough staff amid rising demand and reimbursement pressure in the specialized behavioral health program.
The move, confirmed by Main Line Monday, will affect about 1,000 patients and two dozen employees, who may be placed in other positions within the nonprofit health system.
The Women’s Emotional Wellness Center has offices in King of Prussia and Newtown Square offering services including individual and group therapy, as well as psychiatric evaluation and medication management.
“This decision reflects the ongoing challenges facing behavioral health services nationwide,“ Main Line said in a statement. ”Demand for care continues to grow, while workforce and reimbursement pressures make it increasingly difficult to sustain certain specialized programs.”
Main Line will work with patients to help them find appropriate care either within Main Line or with other providers in the community, the organization said, while emphasizing its commitment to behavioral health services.
The organization offers inpatient psychiatric care, substance use treatment, outpatient behavioral health services, and integrated behavioral health support within its primary care practices. Four years ago, Main Line opened a $35 million inpatient behavioral health unit at Bryn Mawr Hospital.
The closure of the Women’s Emotional Wellness Center is another blow to women’s health services in Philadelphia’s western suburbs. Early last year, Lifecycle Wellness, an independent birth center in Bryn Mawr, closed because of rising operating and medical malpractice costs.