COVID-19 Outbreak at Dartmouth Psychiatric Facility

DARTMOUTH — A Dartmouth psychiatric facility is seeing a COVID-19 outbreak among its patients for the third time this year.

It's also currently the only licensed mental health hospital in Massachusetts with any cases reported, according to state data released this week.

As of Aug. 10, the latest data available, Southcoast Behavioral Health on Faunce Corner Road in Dartmouth had nine patients with COVID-19.

None of the other fifteen psychiatric facilities licensed by the Department of Mental Health had any COVID cases among their patients.

Among DMH-licensed psychiatric units in general hospitals, only Mass General reported any patients with COVID, with fewer than five cases reported.

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This is the third time this year that the facility has seen an outbreak, or sudden increase in cases, state data shows.

Southcoast Behavioral has regularly seen a number of patients with the virus, with at least one case among patients every week this year until June 8, when it dropped to zero cases.

This is the first month since then that the hospital once again has patients with COVID-19.

In June, the state stopped publishing data on health facilities weekly, switching instead to a monthly release schedule.

A 144-bed psychiatric hospital that treats people with mental health diagnoses, Southcoast Behavioral Health is operated by Southcoast Health in conjunction with Acadia Healthcare.

Dartmouth Week has previously reported employees anonymously alleging unsafe conditions at the facility during previous outbreaks.

A spokesperson for Southcoast Behavioral Health was not available for comment on Friday.

However, Director of Business Development Katlyn Auty previously told Dartmouth Week that the facility is contracted by the state to treat patients with coronavirus, and strictly follows all CDC guidelines.