LAS VEGAS, N.M. – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Tuesday announced the completed expansion of a state nursing home here that specializes in providing psychiatric care to older New Mexicans.

The expansion added 54 beds to the Meadows Home at the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas, increasing total capacity to 162 beds.

In addition to skilled nursing care, the home provides specialized psychiatric care for most residents. The facility is a safety net for people from across the state who have been denied admission to other nursing facilities because of their psychiatric conditions.

“This 50% increase in bed capacity will make a real difference for New Mexicans in need,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham. “There’s no substitute for specialized care. Behavioral health care is health care, and we need to keep pushing all across the state for expanded services and accessibility. Today marks another good step in that direction.”

The expansion of the Meadows Home, at a cost of nearly $24 million, was managed by the Facilities Management Division of the General Services Department.

The home, which replaced an aging nursing facility at the Behavioral Health Institute, opened in 2012 with 36 beds. It was first expanded, to 108 beds, in 2014.

The skilled nursing facility is certified by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and it is licensed by the Department of Health.