Our emergency departments see the consequences of a behavioral health system stretched beyond its limits. People in crisis often come to us because they have nowhere else to turn, placing additional strain on emergency services and reducing access for patients with other urgent medical needs.

As medical leaders at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center and PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend, we urge the Oregon Health Authority and the city of Springfield to approve both Timber Springs, a 96-bed inpatient psychiatric hospital that includes a 24-bed adolescent unit, and the Lane Stabilization Center, a 24/7 behavioral health crisis center.

Emergency departments are not designed to be the primary entry point for behavioral healthcare. This new campus would provide immediate access to specialized care, giving individuals and families a place to turn before a crisis. It would offer a compassionate alternative to repeated emergency department visits, law enforcement involvement or lengthy waits for treatment.

Most importantly, Timber Springs and the Lane Stabilization Center will help break the cycle we see too often: crisis, emergency department, jail, Oregon State Hospital, inpatient care, and then a return to crisis without adequate long-term support.

The need is especially urgent for young people facing depression, anxiety, self-harm or suicidal thoughts who should not have to wait days for care or leave their community to receive treatment. Timber Springs will allow adolescents to access inpatient care close to home, family and support systems.

While no single project can solve every behavioral health challenge in Lane County, this investment will expand access, reduce suffering, support families and provide a more appropriate care setting for those in crisis.

Our patients cannot wait. Our youth cannot wait. Oregon Health Authority and the city of Springfield should approve these two critical facilities.

Jonathan Wright, DO
Emergency Department chief, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center

Brad Anderson, MD
President, Eugene Emergency Physicians