Changing the Valley’s Healthcare Landscape for Our Most Pressing Need

On September 18, 2019, Valley Children’s announced a partnership with Universal Health Services (UHS), one of the nation’s largest and most respected hospital management companies, to construct an 81,600-square-foot, 128-bed behavioral health hospital for children and adults on the western portion of the Madera hospital’s campus. The facility will include a 24-bed inpatient unit for children and adolescents, ages 5 -17, representing a 49% increase in available beds for kids from Kern to San Joaquin counties.

Committed to improving access to behavioral health services for our region’s children and adolescents and known for forging strong partnerships with healthcare providers across the region, Valley Children’s Healthcare identified an important partner in UHS to provide services for kids as well as adults in Central California.

While the permitting and construction process gets underway, UHS will work closely with Valley Children’s to invest resources in meeting immediate behavioral health needs, establishing additional telepsychiatry services and a new psychiatry residency program in the region.

By the Numbers:
The Need for Behavioral Healthcare Services in our Valley

California continues to face a shortage for inpatient behavioral health beds for adults - and the shortage of inpatient services for children ages 5 to 17 is even more pronounced.

Behavioral Health Inpatient Beds by County

Behavioral health goal graphic of 1 inpatient bed for every 2,000 peopleBehavioral health graphic of state of California - only 1 inpatient bed for every 5,834 peopleBehavioral health graphic - in our 12-county service area, there is only 1 inpatient bed for every 9,792 people

Behavioral health graphic - 1 in every 6 people aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each yearBehavioral health graphic - in our 12-county service area, there is only 1 inpatient bed for every 18,968 children aged 6-17
* A national nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating barriers to the timely and effective treatment of severe mental illness.
** Population data from the California Hospital Association and KidsData.org
*** National Alliance on Mental Health. Health By The Numbers. https://www.nami.org/learn-more/mental-health-by-the-numbers


A Closer Look at the Madera UHS Facility

  • Ownership and Operation: The facility will be solely owned and operated by Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) UHS will also dedicate additional resources to address the need for psychiatric care for Valley Children’s patient population. 
  • Number of Total Beds: 128
  • Number of Beds Dedicated to Children and Adolescents: 24 (with ability to expand based on need)
  • Square Footage: 81,600
  • Facility Design Elements: Five 24-bed units each with nursing stations and clinical support services; indoor gymnasium; dining areas and quiet space throughout the hospital
  • Patient-Centered Design Features: Equipped with state-of-the-art safety features that facilitate healing and compassionate care; intentionally designed therapeutic environment that includes calming color palette, natural wall décor and natural light throughout building design 
  • Patient Treatment Modalities
    • Inpatient stabilization units
    • Outpatient programs
    • Programs focused on the treatment of severe mood disorders, thought disorders and chemical dependency issues
    • Group and individual therapies
    • Evidence-based treatments such as Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Motivational Interviewing
    • Art and music therapy, aromatherapy, pet therapy
    • Fitness/movement therapy
  • Jobs: The new hospital will employ more than 250 people, including clinicians, mental health technicians and support and administrative staff, in addition to jobs created throughout the construction process.
  • Timeline: Following State review and approvals, UHS is planning to begin construction in 2020 with an anticipated opening in 2022.