Children's Mercy Kansas City and Camber Mental Health Unveil $53 Million Mental Wellness Campus
The Children’s Mercy Kansas City and Camber Mental Health Joint Venture announced a new 72,700 square-foot, state-of-the-art mental wellness campus that will officially open on December 2, 2024. The $53 million, 72-bed hospital will help meet the growing demand for inpatient pediatric and adult mental health treatment with the ability to care for more than 3,400 clients each year.
In 2023 alone, 4,000 children and teens visited Children’s Mercy’s Emergency Room (ER) with behavioral health challenges. Of those, 20% required hospitalization for inpatient mental health treatment, which can be difficult to find in the Kansas City area due to community needs significantly outweighing bed availability. From 2019-2021, the National Institutes of Health reported a significant increase in ER visits for adults experiencing suicidality, substance use overdoses and mental health crises. This new mental health campus will work to address those trends in our region.
“This new hospital is going to transform people’s lives, and for many people, it will be lifesaving,” said Kimberly O’Connor-Soule, LSCSW, President, Children’s Mercy + Camber Mental Health. “Children and adults experiencing a deeply vulnerable and difficult time in their life will receive treatment in a safe, therapeutic, and uplifting environment that is free of judgment and focused on a whole-person approach to care to restore hope and celebrate each step forward.”
The new world-class facility will serve as an inpatient mental health campus, featuring 48 pediatric beds (ages 6 to 18) and 24 adult beds (ages 18 and older) in fully separate units. It has six interior and exterior courtyards, large dayrooms, and dining and activity spaces. The healing environment is centered on client and staff safety, supportive care and treatment spaces, and client wellness. Clients can expect bright open spaces, calming design and the highest quality of clinical and holistic care.
“We are celebrating the power of collaboration and community,” said Jason Hooper, MSW, President and CEO, KVC Health Systems. “I am humbled and deeply grateful for the hundreds of people who have supported this effort and who have worked tirelessly to bring this vision to life as quickly as possible to help more people. This is a beacon of hope for those who are struggling and it’s a renewed commitment to the wellbeing of our communities.”
Patients may be struggling with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, the impacts of trauma and other mental health conditions. Clients will move around the campus throughout the day to experience therapies like recreation, art, and music, with opportunities to connect with nature. A child’s average stay is five to seven days, while for adults, an average stay is eight to 12 days. The goal is to stabilize the crisis a client is experiencing as soon and as safely as possible while teaching them how the brain works, teaching emotion regulation and coping skills, and offering the support and resources needed to continue outpatient treatment in their home communities.
“This collaboration underscores our collective dedication to expanding capacity and delivering essential mental health resources to the youth in our region,” said Paul Kempinski, MS, FACHE, President and CEO, Children’s Mercy. “Many children have endured extended wait times in the emergency department due to a lack of available beds in the community and we are optimistic that this new campus will significantly reduce the time children spend in crisis waiting for the appropriate care that is needed.”
The new hospital was made possible by generous contributions from the Sunderland Foundation, the State of Kansas, Fore the Kids Foundation, Kao Family Foundation and many caring individuals.
“Like much of the nation, Kansas is facing a mental health crisis,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The Children’s Mercy and Camber Mental Health Wellness Campus will provide the critical resources and care that young people in Kansas and surrounding states need to overcome these challenges.”
“It is truly inspiring to witness the hard work and commitment of everyone involved in making this vision for an innovative new mental health hospital for adults and children a reality,” said Kent Sunderland, Chairman, The Sunderland Foundation. “We’re proud to join KVC Health Systems, Children’s Mercy and many other donors to create hope and healing for thousands of families each year.”
Children’s Mercy + Camber Mental Health is proud to collaborate with JE Dunn Construction as the design-builder and Hoefer Welker as the architect and interior designer on this innovative inpatient hospital and mental wellness campus.
For more information, please visit cmcmentalhealth.org