MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Fairhaven Treatment Center, which is the only facility dedicated solely to treating eating disorders in Memphis, is days away from closing its doors.
WREG worked to try to find out what’s behind the closure and why some patients are fighting to keep it open.
For years, the Fairhaven Treatment Center has treated eating disorders and problems associated with them.
For many, like 22-year-old Heather, the center has been a lifeline.
“After so many years, I finally felt like I could breathe,” Heather said. “I felt so hopeful. I felt like for once in my entire time being in treatment, that I was receiving care, and that I was healing. I was actually looking forward to moving on.”
It’s the treatment that clients have come to rely on. Some of them even left comments on the center’s website after learning that it was closing.
One wrote, “I was devastated. I really felt that they were best suited for my needs. “
Another added, “I’m so disappointed to hear this. This was the only residential I was considering.”
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Mary, who was in Fairhaven last year, told us by phone the center’s therapeutic treatment approach made it unique.
“They have specialized care that focuses on eating disorders as the central thing. But also that can take into account the individual and their trauma history and other occurring problems they might have. It is just really different,” Mary said.
It seems the closing took workers and staff by surprise. We reached out to Fairhaven, but couldn’t get anyone to do an interview.
Fairhaven’s parent company was bought out by Optum Healthcare in 2022. Optum is a part of United Health Care Group.
They sent us a statement saying they are “continuously reviewing our services and operations to ensure they serve the needs of our clients, communities, and business. In response to local market conditions, we have made the decision to close these facilities. Clinical leadership is working with site clinicians and staff to notify patients and support a smooth transition of care.”
But clients aren’t sitting back and waiting. They have started a Change.org petition to keep Fairhaven open, saying it’s just one of several facilities from California, to Wisconsin, to Florida that are being closed.
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“Now there is this feeling that if something goes wrong or if you need help again, the help won’t be there anymore,” said Mary. “That’s a devastating feeling for people who are experiencing one of the hardest things a human being can live through. Eating disorders are already so difficult.”
While there are other places that focus on eating disorders among other conditions, to have a sole eating disorder center in Memphis is something patients say is worth fighting for.
“For a lot of Tennessee residents, especially those on Medicaid, Fairhaven is one of the only options they had for getting treatment covered by insurance,” Mary added. “Now that option is gone. It’s really like a safety net has been removed for a lot of people.”
Heather agrees. “These are people’s lives. People are getting hurt by this. People are not getting access to this type of treatment, and it is really sad.”
Fairhaven is set to close on March 8.
By the way, this week happens to be National Eating Disorder Week.
