Geisinger Behavioral Health Center Northeast held a ribbon cutting ceremony today to mark the completion of construction and celebrate the joint venture between Geisinger and Acadia Healthcare.

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Geisinger Behavioral Health Center Northeast hosts ceremony celebrating opening in Moosic, Pennsylvania. From left to right: Brennen Reynolds, Senior Director, Strategic Operations, Acadia Healthcare; Dr. Michael Genovese, Chief Medical Officer, Acadia Healthcare; Isa Diaz, Senior Vice President, Strategic Affairs, Acadia Healthcare; Chris Hunter, Chief Executive Officer, Acadia Healthcare; Dr. Imad Melhem, chair of psychiatry, Geisinger; Kelly Ankenbrand, chief executive officer, Geisinger Behavioral Health Center Northeast; Laura Longstreet, Group Chief Executive Officer, Acadia Healthcare; Megan Brosius, chief administrative officer, Geisinger; Dawn Zieger, vice president of psychiatry and behavioral health, Geisinger; Erica Sadowski, transformation advisor, Geisinger; and Dr. Jaewon Ryu, president and chief executive officer, Geisinger. (Photo: Business Wire)

The 96-bed facility will provide care for adult, pediatric and adolescent patients who struggle with acute symptoms of behavioral health disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This array of acute behavioral health services provides a level of care unparalleled in northeastern Pennsylvania, especially for children and adolescents. The hospital will admit patients at the beginning of August.

“The support from the local legislators and the community throughout this project has been so encouraging,” said Kelly Ankenbrand, chief executive officer of Geisinger Behavioral Health Center Northeast. “Our hospital and programs will focus on the health and healing of the whole patient and build on Geisinger’s legacy of providing excellent behavioral healthcare to the community. We have an excellent staff and exceptional facility to serve all those who need our help.”

The new center, located at 60 Glenmaura Blvd., Moosic is the first of two hospitals to be constructed under the joint venture between Geisinger and Acadia. A second, 96-bed hospital –Geisinger Behavioral Health Center Danville – is currently in development in Danville and is expected to open in 2025.

“This hospital and partnership will bring increased access and the highest quality behavioral healthcare to patients across northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Jaewon Ryu, M.D., J.D., president and chief executive officer of Geisinger. “I want to thank the numerous people from Geisinger, Acadia, local government and the community for their commitment and passion in making our vision a reality today. Pennsylvanians for years to come will benefit from this joint effort.”

These two new centers will allow Geisinger to consolidate inpatient behavioral health programs from Geisinger Medical Center, Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital and Geisinger Community Medical Center, providing additional capacity to expand medical care availability at those hospitals. Together, the new facilities are expected to create approximately 400 new jobs.

The new hospital will also serve as a teaching hospital, training students and residents from Geisinger’s College of Health Sciences, many of whom will go on to practice in northeastern Pennsylvania and carry forth Geisinger’s mission to improve the health and well-being of the region.

“The opening of this hospital, alongside the second one in Danville in 2025, highlights this partnership’s commitment to meeting the need for behavioral health and substance use treatment programs where the need is greatest,” said Chris Hunter, chief executive officer of Acadia Healthcare. “These two state-of-the-art, patient-centered facilities will provide hope and healing for those in need. The increased bed availability and purposefully designed, freestanding behavioral health hospitals will enable specialized care for more patients in these communities.”

About Geisinger

Geisinger is committed to making better health easier for the more than 1 million people it serves. Founded more than 100 years ago by Abigail Geisinger, the system now includes 10 hospital campuses, a health plan with more than half a million members, a research institute and the Geisinger College of Health Sciences, which includes schools of medicine, nursing and graduate education. With more than 25,000 employees and 1,700+ employed physicians, Geisinger boosts its hometown economies in Pennsylvania by billions of dollars annually. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Acadia Healthcare

Acadia is a leading provider of behavioral healthcare services across the United States. As of March 31, 2023, Acadia operated a network of 250 behavioral healthcare facilities with approximately 11,100 beds in 39 states and Puerto Rico. With approximately 23,000 employees serving more than 75,000 patients daily, Acadia is the largest stand-alone behavioral healthcare company in the U.S. Acadia provides behavioral healthcare services to its patients in a variety of settings, including inpatient psychiatric hospitals, specialty treatment facilities, residential treatment centers and outpatient clinics.

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