Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Children's Hospital Goes All in With 128-Bed Mental Health Unit
David Website Replacement
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 6 years ago on
September 18, 2019

Share

A new hospital is coming to the Central Valley dedicated to behavioral health services.
Valley Children’s Healthcare announced Wednesday morning a partnership with Universal Health Services creating more beds for behavioral health services for both children and adults. VCH officials say the new facility will increase pediatrician behavioral health access by 49%.


Listen to this article:
 


“That is a profound, profound investment and additional capability to take care of our kids, and keep more kids home in the Valley and have better access to behavioral mental health services right here. Not in the Bay Area, (not in) Southern California,” Valley Children’s President and CEO Todd Suntrapak said.

Addressing a Serious Need

“The standard of care will be raised in helping these kids and families that have behavioral health issues.”Valley Children’s president and CEO Todd Suntrapak
During the announcement at Valley Children’s main hospital attended by hundreds of medical staff and local leaders, Suntrapak and others cited the need for more services.
According to The Treatment Advocacy Center recommendations, the goal is to have one behavioral inpatient bed for every 2,000 people. In California, there is one bed for every 5,834 people, and in the 12-county region VCH serves, it is one bed for every 9,792 people, according to the California Hospital Association and KidsData.org.
The behavioral health hospital will house 128 beds, with 24 dedicated to pediatric psychiatric care. The facility will employ more than 250 doctors, nurses, and other staff.
Additionally, Suntrapak said the two entities will develop a psychiatric residency program that doesn’t now exist in the Valley.
“Having that residency component will speed the treatment and facilitate the patient getting to the inpatient setting that is on this campus. Not two hours away. Not an hour away. But literally three to four minutes away to get the inpatient care they need,” Suntrapak said. “The standard of care will be raised in helping these kids and families that have behavioral health issues.”

2022 Opening Planned

VCH Board of Trustees chairwoman Jeannie Grech said planning for the facility was five years in the making. The 81,000 square-foot building will be located on VCH’s Madera County campus, on vacant land west of the main hospital.
Construction is expected next to start next year, with a 2022 opening. Suntrapak could not provide an exact cost estimate, but said it would be “tens and tens of millions of dollars.” Valley Children’s will provide the land, while UHS will construct the facility.

Mike Zauner, with UHS (left), and Valley Children’s president and CEO Todd Suntrapak sign a ceremonial contract for a new behavioral health hospital. (GV Wire/David Taub)

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Sinner Bids for His First French Open Title Against Defending Champion Alcaraz

DON'T MISS

Coco Gauff Defeats Top-Ranked Aryna Sabalenka in 3 Sets to Win Her First French Open Title

DON'T MISS

Texas Beats Texas Tech in 3rd Game of WCWS to Win Its 1st National Championship

DON'T MISS

Conforto Comes Through, Dodgers Rally in 8th for Victory Abetted by Mets Mishap

DON'T MISS

Giants Beat the Slumping Braves in 10 Innings on a Wild Pitch

DON'T MISS

Trans Troops, Facing a Deadline, Opt to Stay and Fight the Ban

DON'T MISS

Can This 14-Year-Old Football Star Become a High School Millionaire?

DON'T MISS

Trump EPA Moves to Roll Back Rules Projected to Save Billions of Dollars and Thousands of Lives

DON'T MISS

Valley Foster Care Agencies Are Facing an Insurance Crisis and Possible Closure

DON'T MISS

World’s Largest Almond Processor Will Shutter Sacramento Plant. 600 Workers Impacted

UP NEXT

World’s Largest Almond Processor Will Shutter Sacramento Plant. 600 Workers Impacted

UP NEXT

Trump Eyes Major Funding Cuts for California, Including All Public Universities

UP NEXT

Southern California Air Regulators Weigh a Plan to Phase Out Gas Furnaces and Water Heaters

UP NEXT

Doctors Were Preparing to Remove Their Organs. Then They Woke Up.

UP NEXT

FDA’s AI Assistant ‘Elsa’ Fails Its First Day on the Job

UP NEXT

Tulare County Gang Member Convicted of Trying to a Murder Police Officer

UP NEXT

Newsom Promises Funding to Jump-Start ‘Science of Reading’

UP NEXT

Feds Indict SoCal Hospice CEO for Medicare Fraud in Fresno and Kern Counties

UP NEXT

Fresno Downtown Parking Costs Taxpayers an Extra $4 Million

UP NEXT

Rancho Cucamonga Prepares for First US Bullet Train Hub in 2028

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Conforto Comes Through, Dodgers Rally in 8th for Victory Abetted by Mets Mishap

6 hours ago

Giants Beat the Slumping Braves in 10 Innings on a Wild Pitch

6 hours ago

Trans Troops, Facing a Deadline, Opt to Stay and Fight the Ban

7 hours ago

Can This 14-Year-Old Football Star Become a High School Millionaire?

8 hours ago

Trump EPA Moves to Roll Back Rules Projected to Save Billions of Dollars and Thousands of Lives

8 hours ago

Valley Foster Care Agencies Are Facing an Insurance Crisis and Possible Closure

8 hours ago

World’s Largest Almond Processor Will Shutter Sacramento Plant. 600 Workers Impacted

22 hours ago

Trump Eyes Major Funding Cuts for California, Including All Public Universities

23 hours ago

Farming Regulation Costs Rise 1,300% Since 2006: Cal Poly

23 hours ago

Southern California Air Regulators Weigh a Plan to Phase Out Gas Furnaces and Water Heaters

24 hours ago

Sinner Bids for His First French Open Title Against Defending Champion Alcaraz

PARIS — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner has not yet dropped a set in his bid to win the French Open for the first time. Defending champion Carlos A...

6 hours ago

6 hours ago

Sinner Bids for His First French Open Title Against Defending Champion Alcaraz

6 hours ago

Coco Gauff Defeats Top-Ranked Aryna Sabalenka in 3 Sets to Win Her First French Open Title

6 hours ago

Texas Beats Texas Tech in 3rd Game of WCWS to Win Its 1st National Championship

6 hours ago

Conforto Comes Through, Dodgers Rally in 8th for Victory Abetted by Mets Mishap

6 hours ago

Giants Beat the Slumping Braves in 10 Innings on a Wild Pitch

8 hours ago

Trans Troops, Facing a Deadline, Opt to Stay and Fight the Ban

9 hours ago

Can This 14-Year-Old Football Star Become a High School Millionaire?

9 hours ago

Trump EPA Moves to Roll Back Rules Projected to Save Billions of Dollars and Thousands of Lives

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend