KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knox County has the most people who attempt suicide out of Tennessee's four largest counties, according to state data.
Liz Clary, the Vice President of Behavioral Health at Covenant Health's Peninsula Hospital, said it's a struggle to get people the mental health care they need in East Tennessee.
"It really is a struggle to be able to have enough resources to take care of the increased demand," said Clary. "We had a need this week, and the waiting list was [at least] 67."
Clary said it's difficult to find beds for patients who need them. He said patients may need to wait a week before they can be admitted to a facility and find the care they need.
Peninsula Hospital in Louisville and Ridgeview in Oak Ridge are two of the only inpatient facilities in East Tennessee.
Otherwise, patients have to go to Chattanooga, Nashville or Memphis for the closest state-run inpatient mental hospitals.
The Mental Health Association of East Tennessee said in Knox County around 8,500 people ended up in the emergency room with mental health crises. Often, they said, people get boarded in emergency rooms for several days waiting for a bed to open.
"When people get sicker or they delay care, they end up in an emergency room," said Ben Harrington, the CEO of the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee. "Having new hospital space available can help prevent people from ending up in an emergency room because they delayed care."
The Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine is a collaboration between the UT Medical Center and Tennova. It's a 64-bed inpatient facility for acute care, according to the medical director Dr. Brent Coyle.
He said he hopes the new hospital will give people easier access to mental health care, and reduce the stigma around seeing it.
"I think people die instead of ever asking for help," Dr. Coyle said.
Covenant Health is planning to open its East Tennessee Behavioral Health facility later this month. These facilities would bring two inpatient care centers to Knox County, making more resources available for anyone who needs it.
"Having bed space available so folks can be served locally is exciting," Harrington said.