Joni Marquis was recently hired as the new Behavioral Health Services director at the Community Health Center of Branch County (CHC).  Joni will manage the inpatient unit and the outpatient clinic for Behavioral Health, as well as overseeing contracts, admissions, budget development, and staff, and networking with other hospital directors.

Joni is a registered nurse and has a masters degree in health care administration.  She has over 20 years of experience in the health care field in various positions including management of a behavioral health intake and utilization review department.  Joni has experience in case management and psychiatric ER triage.  She has worked in the clinical research field overseeing clinical trials in a variety of therapeutic areas and was a former board member of Association of Clinical Research Professionals inIndiana.

Joni grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, but spent summers at a lake in Steuben County and loves “lake country” and this area.  She enjoys attending plays and music venues, boating, swimming, and participating in water sports.  Joni likes nature and hiking along with reading and traveling.  She is active in her church and enjoys volunteering.  Joni also has a beautiful yellowLabradordog named Bailey who is her buddy and loves to swim in the lake.

When asked why she wanted to further her career at CHC, Joni stated, “I want to impact the quality of care and service delivery for individuals with a mental illness in and around the community.”  CHC welcomes Joni to the team.

CHC’s Inpatient Behavioral Healthcare

CHC's experienced multidisciplinary staff is committed to the behavioral health of our community. CHC believes that treatment begins by recognizing that each person is unique, capable of communicating his or her needs, and able to successfully participate in his or her own treatment. CHC staff works as a team to help those experiencing a wide range of difficulties. Some seek help for recent problems coping with depression or anxiety; others have trouble with confusion or memory problems; some are battling addiction to alcohol or other substances; and others have chronic mental illnesses that affect their mood or thought processes.

The CHC team is led by Medical Director Kanwar Rana, M.D. Other team members include a psychologist, social worker, psychiatric nurses, art therapist, and psychiatric technicians.

Sometimes a short stay in the hospital is necessary; CHC provides inpatient psychiatric services. The goal of hospitalization is to help the patient return to his or her home as quickly as possible while assuring the person's safety. CHC works with families, outpatient providers, local community mental health service providers, and doctors to insure coordination of care and a smooth transition to and from community-based services. For questions about inpatient admissions, call 517-279-5347.  Staff are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer questions.

The Community Health Center of Branch County is a non-profit acute care hospital providing access to safe, comprehensive, high quality healthcare services and accredited by The Joint Commission.  For more information about CHC, please contact Mashaun Schabloski, Marketing Specialist, at 517-279-5282 or visit the CHC website at www.chcbc.com or myhealth.chcbc.com.  Join us on Facebook, Google Plus, and LinkedIn.