The Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine celebrated its grand opening by hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The ceremony was attended by physicians, hospital partners, community leaders, and special guests.

The 64-bed hospital will provide a comprehensive continuum of care for adults and geriatric patients with psychiatric, emotional, and addictive disorders. The center will open in phases beginning with geriatric care and will open adult services soon after. The hospital is a result of a partnership among National HealthCare Corporation (NYSE American: NHC), Tennova Healthcare, and The University of Tennessee Medical Center.

“We are thrilled to open the hospital and provide access to high quality behavioral healthcare services for the East Tennessee community,” said Clay McCoy, chief executive officer of the Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine. “The community needed this critical lifeline for patients, and we are proud to see the efforts of this collaborative partnership come to fruition.”

According to the Tennessee Department of Health, in 2020, more than 800 deaths by suicide occurred among adults between the ages of 25 and 64 in Tennessee. More than 160 deaths by suicide alone occurred in the East Tennessee region.

“Tennova Healthcare remains committed to our mission of ensuring that key healthcare needs are available for our community to improve their quality of life,” states Tony Benton, chief executive officer Tennova Healthcare. “We are honored to partner with National HealthCare Corporation and The University of Tennessee Medical Center to dedicate resources and build the Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine. This important initiative helps bridge the gap of services needed for some of our most vulnerable patients. This critically important partnership is timely as we have continued to see an increase in demand for mental health services.”

“This partnership supports The University of Tennessee Medical Center’s goal to reduce health care disparities by providing care across the behavioral health continuum and will expand much-needed access by providing availability of behavioral health resources,” said Joe Landsman, president and chief executive officer of The University of Tennessee Medical Center. “By offering high quality inpatient behavioral health care, the Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine will enhance our ability to coordinate care for all the patient populations we serve throughout their entire episode of care.”

The 55,000-square-foot facility is located at the new Tennova Health Park at 1240 Tennova Medical Way. The center will provide more than 200 jobs for Knox County.

For more information, visit www.knoxvillebehavioralmedicine.com.