MercyOne Central Iowa and Universal Health Services held a ceremonial groundbreaking today for their new 100-bed behavioral health hospital that will serve Central Iowa and the surrounding region. The new facility, named Clive Behavioral Health, is a partnership of MercyOne and UHS to address the growing, unmet need for accessible, high-quality and advanced behavioral health services, the companies said in a joint press release. 

Gov. Kim Reynolds, who on Wednesday signed legislation enacting a children’s mental health system, spoke at the ceremony, accompanied by Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg. 

Like the legislation, the new hospital “sends a powerful message to Iowans that we care,” Reynolds told officials gathered at the building site. “I love that Clive will connect Central Iowans with thought leaders in mental health. … Most of all, adults and children will be able to access the mental health services that they need.” 

The new hospital, expected to open in July 2020, will be located at 1450 N.W. 114th St. in Clive, across from the MercyOne Clive Health Plaza and MercyOne Rehabilitation Hospital. The 34 psychiatric beds at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center will continue to serve adults and seniors. 

The new state-of-the-art facility will span more than 83,000 square feet, with a one-story clinical and support services area, and a three-story unit for inpatient and outpatient services. The estimated project cost is just over $30 million. 

It will feature a full continuum of inpatient services including units to serve children and adolescents. Specialty programs for adults with co-occurring behavioral health and substance use issues will be offered to meet the unique needs of this patient population. 

In addition, the facility will offer robust outpatient programs to address the most prevalent behavioral health concerns, including child, adolescent and family counseling; and treatment for depression, anxiety disorders and other common behavioral health issues. 

MercyOne officials said they chose UHS, a Pennsylvania-based hospital management company, “because of its behavioral health expertise and the shared vision and commitment to patient and family-centered care, strong clinical outcomes and proven track record of partnering with academic, regional networks and community-based entities.” 

It’s the first project in Iowa for UHS, which will be the majority owner and will oversee the day-to-day operations and management of the new behavioral health facility. Through its subsidiaries, UHS operates more than 350 inpatient acute care hospitals and behavioral health facilities and 32 outpatient and other facilities in the United States, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. 

“We are excited to partner with UHS to bring these much-needed services to Central Iowa,” said Karl Keeler, MercyOne Central Iowa president. “We look forward to working with our community partners and advocates to serve more patients and families, as we are committed to serving the overall health needs of our community.”