Press Releases

Covenant Health and Acadia Healthcare Hold Virtual Groundbreaking for New Inpatient Behavioral Health Hospital in Knoxville

09.02.2020

New behavioral health treatment center to serve communities in East Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Knoxville-based Covenant Health and Acadia Healthcare, headquartered in Middle Tennessee, held a virtual groundbreaking event today for East Tennessee Behavioral Health, a new inpatient behavioral health hospital to serve Knoxville and the surrounding region. The entirely virtual event took place from 10-10:30 a.m. EDT.

East Tennessee Behavioral Health is a joint venture between Acadia Healthcare, the nation’s largest provider of behavioral health services, and Covenant Health, one of Tennessee’s premier integrated health systems. The new hospital will be located in West Knoxville and is scheduled to open in fall 2021.

Online attendees saw the site of the new hospital and an architectural rendering of the facility, which will provide treatment to adults, seniors, and adolescents who are struggling with mental health concerns and substance use disorders. Event speakers discussed its anticipated impact on the community’s need for additional mental health services.

“We’re thrilled to have an opportunity to introduce the community to East Tennessee Behavioral Health,” said Dr. Jeffrey Woods, Operations Group President at Acadia Healthcare. “We fully believe that this new facility will address a need for accessible, world-class behavioral health services both in Knoxville and throughout the region.”

Jim VanderSteeg, Covenant Health President and CEO, concurred. “The shortage of resources for mental health is a national problem that we also face in East Tennessee. Covenant Health and Peninsula, our behavioral health division, have a long-standing commitment to the provision of mental health services, and we are very pleased to announce with Acadia that construction is getting underway for East Tennessee Behavioral Health.”

To view the groundbreaking, visit https://vimeo.com/454085810

For more information, visit our website at www.easttennesseebehavioralhealth.com.

 About Acadia Healthcare

Acadia Healthcare is a leading provider of behavioral healthcare services. As of March 31, 2020, Acadia operated a network of 588 behavioral healthcare facilities with approximately 18,200 beds in 40 states, the United Kingdom, and Puerto Rico.

Acadia provides behavioral health and addiction treatment services to its patients in a variety of settings, including inpatient psychiatric hospitals, specialty treatment facilities, residential treatment centers, and outpatient clinics. For more information about Acadia Healthcare, please visit www.acadiahealthcare.com.

About Covenant Health

Covenant Health is a community-owned health system providing comprehensive services in Tennessee. The health system includes 10 hospitals; outpatient services and clinics; specialized behavioral, oncology, and rehabilitation services; home care; physician practices; and community programs. With more than 10,000 employees, affiliated physicians, and volunteers, Covenant Health is the Knoxville area’s largest private employer and has been named a top employer six times by Forbes. For more information about Covenant Health, please visit CovenantHealth.com.

Covenant Health Contacts:

Debby Saraceni, Vice President, Marketing & Physician Services, 865-374-0424, dsaracen@covhlth.com

Teresa Gross, Public Relations/Communications, 865-374-0433, tgross2@covhlth.com


Erica Smith ACADIA HEALTHCARE
(630) 460-0132
erica.smith@acadiahealthcare.com

Source: ACADIA HEALTHCARE