New psychiatric hospital will be largest of its kind in Illinois south of Chicago

Leslie Renken, Journal Star
·2 min read
5
The exterior of the new OSF Healthcare Ministry Headquarters in Downtown Peoria after a ribbon cutting ceremony on Dec. 17, 2021.

PEORIA – OSF HealthCare is planning to build a 100-bed behavioral health hospital in Peoria.

The facility, which is being developed in partnership with US HealthVest, will be Illinois’ largest inpatient behavioral health treatment facility south of Chicago, according to a news release issued by the hospital Thursday morning.

"We are excited to announce our partnership with US HealthVest to bring an inpatient behavioral hospital to the region because the need is great," said Dr. Ralph Velazquez, chief medical officer at OSF HealthCare. "Access is a challenge, and between people who don’t seek the care they need and those who seek care in other settings, we know the true gap and the number of potential persons served is even higher."

Thousands of people must travel out of the 13-county central Illinois area each year to obtain needed behavioral health care, according to the Community Health Needs assessment conducted every three years. The 2022 assessment prioritized mental health – especially depression, anxiety and suicide – as one of three significant health needs impacting Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties.

More:Looking for a job in Peoria? These major employers are hiring

The new hospital, which will be located on a tract of land already owned by OSF HealthCare on Route 91 in north Peoria, will provide a full continuum of behavioral health services. It will be open 24/7 with a crisis center providing free assessments as well as specialized programs with evidence-based care. Partial hospitalizations and intensive outpatient programs will also be offered.

US HealthVest is a developer of psychiatric hospitals with locations in Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Boston and Indianapolis. It currently is licensed for more than 400 beds in Illinois, all in the Chicago area.

OSF and US HealthVest have already begun the process of obtaining regulatory approvals and anticipate opening in late 2024 or early 2025.

Leslie Renken can be reached at (309) 370-5087 or lrenken@pjstar.com. Follow her on Facebook.com/leslie.renken.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: OSF announces plans to build a psychiatric hospital in north Peoria