LifePoint Opens New JV Hospital Valley Springs; Summit BHC Launches 50-Bed Residential Facility

LifePoint opens new joint venture with Baystate Health 

Behavioral health operator Lifepoint Health and nonprofit health system Baystate Health have opened a new joint venture Valley Springs Behavioral Health Hospital.

LifePoint operates the Massachusetts-based facility, offering inpatient behavioral health services for teens and adults. It will include 150 private and semi-private rooms, as well as community areas, outside courtyards and clinical spaces.

“By entering into this partnership with Lifepoint Health, we were able to build this state-of-the-art contemporary behavioral health hospital, a healing space, which will increase our inpatient behavioral health capacity in the region by 50%,” Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health, said in a statement. “Until now, about 30% of behavioral health patients needing care would have to go outside the region. Valley Springs Behavioral Health Hospital will allow us to provide top-quality care for more patients right here in western Massachusetts.”

This will mark the 23rd behavioral health hospital operated by Brentwood, Tennessee-based LifePoint.

Summit BHC opens new Iowa-based center 

Substance use disorder (SUD) provider Summit BHC announced the opening of Ivory Plains Recovery Center in Iowa earlier this month.

The new facility will include a 50-bed residential treatment center for SUD and co-occurring behavioral health conditions. Patients can access medical detoxification, residential care, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs at the new facility.

“Summit, in response to patient and community needs, is pleased to announce the opening of our newest residential treatment center, Ivory Plains Recovery Center, in Adair, Iowa. Ivory Plains marks a significant step forward in addressing unmet needs and enhancing access to crucial services in this growing region by extending the range of treatment options available in the community,” Brent Turner, CEO of Summit, said in a statement. “The team at Ivory Plains is eager to serve and support patients, their loved ones, and the wider Des Moines community for years to come.”

Founded in 2013, Summit BHC operates 34 freestanding facilities in 19 states nationwide. Health care investment firm Patient Square Capital acquired the psychiatric services and SUD treatment provider.

UPMC launches walk-in pediatric behavioral health clinic 

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Children’s Hospital is opening a new pediatric behavioral health walk-in clinic in collaboration with UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital.

The center is open to children and young people aged 18 and under. Patients can see a therapist or psychologist for targeted behavioral health assessments from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

The new center will not require appointments and will offer one-time therapeutic interventions.

“Improving access to behavioral health for our children and teens is a priority at UPMC Children’s as the numbers are steadily increasing for this age group seeking this type of support,” Diane Hupp, president of UPMC Children’s Hospital, said in a statement. “We want this to be another way for families to seek care in a pediatric setting and allow children and teens to feel safe to talk about any concern they may have.”

ABA provider Lighthouse opens a new Iowa Center 

ABA provider Lighthouse Autism Center has opened a new location in Clinton, Iowa.

This new facility marks the second Lighthouse location in Iowa and is scheduled to open in the early fall.

Lighthouse said the center will serve roughly 30 families and create 45 new jobs.

“With over 11 years of experience in ABA, I feel confident in saying Lighthouse Autism Center is not only a compassionate provider that offers the highest quality clinical services, but they are an organization that acts with integrity, providing the highest level of care to every single learner and their family,” Alison Mottet, clinical director of Lighthouse’s Clinton location, said in a statement. “With the newest center in Clinton, we are excited to continue our mission of bringing exceptional ABA services to communities that need them.”

Lighthouse has over 30 locations across Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Indiana.

In 2021, private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management purchased the company for $400 million.

Odyssey Behavioral Health opens additional Lifeskills campus 

At the beginning of the month, Odyssey Behavioral Health announced the opening of its second Lifeskills South Florida campus.

The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, campus will offer acute mental health and SUD care. The Level 1 residential program and detoxification services will support patients with 24/7 nursing in a structured and therapeutic environment.

“We’ve seen the acuity of our clients’ symptoms continue to increase over the last few years across our residential locations nationwide,” Richard Clark, CEO of Odyssey, said in a statement. “We purposely developed this new facility at Lifeskills in response to this shift in demand for these levels of care. We’re proud to offer these sub-acute services at one of the most well-respected treatment facilities in the industry to help more individuals and their families in need.”

Founded in 2015, Odyssey is based in Brentwood, Tennessee. It offers inpatient programs, intensive residential programs, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) , transitional living and detoxification.

Verbal Beginnings opens a new center in Maryland 

Autism service provider Verbal Beginnings is opening a new center in Frederick, Maryland, this fall.

The center will serve children 18 months to 6 years old and offer ABA and speech therapy services, occupational therapy and parent training. The new facility will be able to care for over 50 families and will have a one-to-one ratio between therapist and child.

“By expanding our services to include Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy, Verbal Beginnings sets itself apart as a leading provider of comprehensive care for children on the autism spectrum,” Nick Chappell, co-CEO of Verbal Beginnings, said in a statement. “The new Frederick center solidifies Verbal Beginnings’ commitment to delivering exceptional and integrated services, further improving the lives of children on the autism spectrum disorder and their families.”

Verbal Beginnings offers autism services to Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia families. The provider offers early intervention, feeding therapy, social skills development, occupational therapy and speech therapy.