Firm closing LV hospital, cutting 135 jobs

Monday, Jan. 31, 2000 | 11:46 a.m.

Charter Behavioral Health Systems LLC announced plans to close its Las Vegas hospital and two outpatient centers as it exits the local market as part of a national restructuring.

Charter, based in Alpharetta, Ga., said it will close its 84-bed Charter Behavioral Health Systems of Nevada hospital at 7000 W. Spring Mountain Road by the end of February, eliminating 135 jobs.

"The patients at the Las Vegas facility will either be transferred to another hospital or released once they've completed their treatment," said spokeswoman Karen Keiser-Jenkins.

"Charter will completely pull out of Las Vegas. There will be one less freestanding private psychiatric hospital and one less 24-hour mobile crisis team," added Elena Madsen, Charter's director of business development. "But there are a lot of other outpatient agencies in town."

Charter receives about 1,200 crisis calls a month -- primarily referrals from Metro police and emergency rooms.

The company hasn't determined when its two outpatient facilities at Rainbow Boulevard and Sahara Avenue; and at Sunset and Pecos roads, will be closed.

The restructuring will leave Charter with 38 operating health systems and 5,500 beds nationwide compared with the current 8,000 beds nationwide.