Acadia CEO: EHR Investment Crucial to Enabling Value-Based Care Contracts

Acadia (NASDAQ: ACHC) is prioritizing strategic investment in its technology capabilities and comprehensive treatment centers (CTCs) for opioid use disorder. At the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, Acadia CEO Christopher Hunter said these priorities would “drive the business forward” over the next year. As the largest pure-play behavioral health provider, Acadia sets the tone for the […]

OU Health Starts $141M Project; $71M Psychiatric Hospital To Open In Florida

OU Health breaks ground on $141M pediatric behavioral health center University of Oklahoma-affiliated system, OU Health, broke ground on a new 82-bed behavioral health project on Nov. 1. The facility will cost about $141 million and serve the pediatric population. It will be named the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health Behavioral Health Center and be […]

Acadia to Expand Partial Hospitalization, Intensive Outpatient Programs

Acadia Healthcare Co. Inc. (Nasdaq: ACHC) has plans to grow its partial hospitalization programs (PHP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOPs). Acadia’s preparations to weather the Medicaid redetermination storm have paid off and is now seeking to expand its continuum of care to meet increased needs and drive growth, according to its Q3 earnings call. The […]

Increasing Occupancy is ‘Significant’ Opportunity for UHS’ Behavioral Health Business

Universal Health Services (NYSE: UHS) is setting its sights on increasing behavioral health bed occupancy after seeing improvement in its recruitment and retention metrics. UHS identified increasing occupancy as its next target for growth in its Q3 earnings call, utilizing a strategy of recruitment retention and expanding service lines to achieve this goal. “Broadly increasing […]

Pediatric Patients with Mental Health Disorders Account for Over 1 Million ER Visits a Year 

Over a million emergency room (ER) visits are attributed annually to children and adolescents with a mental health disorder diagnosis. That’s according to a new study by the CDC, which builds on previous research demonstrating the worsening mental health crisis among children and adolescents. The emergency department has become the first response for immediate mental […]

Behavioral Health Urgent Care Models Can ‘Save a Lot of Dollars’ While Helping Patients in Crisis

The emergency department is often the first point of care for patients experiencing a behavioral health crisis. However, a trip to the ED is expensive for patients and payers and often isn’t the most appropriate place for patients. New models of behavioral health urgent care have begun to emerge. These models don’t replace EDs but […]

20% of Primary Care Providers Say They’re Incentivized for Behavioral Health Care

The majority of primary care clinicians say they want to provide more behavioral health care but need additional training tools and resources. This comes as more providers and payers emphasize the benefits of primary and behavioral health care integration. Nearly 40% of primary care providers (PCPs) are screening patients for behavioral health conditions, according to […]

State Hospital Investments Correct the Pendulum Swing From Too Many Psych Beds to Not Enough

State hospitals are on the rise. Several states are collectively putting billions into safety-net hospitals with ties to both the civil and justice systems. At the same time, the private sector struggles to convert demand for services into business opportunities. In the wake of Kennedy-era deinstitutionalization, public and private investment in psychiatric hospitals, which care […]