UPMC Altoona Opens Emergency Department Behavioral Health Pod

The UPMC Altoona campus opened an emergency department behavioral health pod on July 8, 2025. The pod provides a therapeutic environment separate from UPMC Altoona’s traditional emergency department for people seeking crisis treatment for behavioral health conditions. The pod uses a specialized model for integrated emergency and behavioral health services. UPMC Altoona anticipates that the pod will serve five to seven people daily, according to the announcement. 

“Treatment for behavioral health emergencies require a unique approach compared to physical medicine,” said Sybil Rossi, chief nursing officer and vice president of Patient Care Services, UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. “While traditional . . .