Dr. Joseph D. Varley, M.D., shared preliminary drawings of the new Behavioral Health Pavilion on the Summa Health System -- Akron Campus during the Summa Foundation Annual Dinner in Florida in February.
By Joseph D. Varley, M.D.
Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
James and Vanita Oelschlager Endowed Chair in Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
The construction of a new facility for the Behavioral Health Institute, a $60 million investment, will offer a full spectrum of integrated behavioral health services including inpatient treatment (60 beds over four units), hospital-based outpatient programs for addiction and mental health, the Traumatic Stress Center services and medical group outpatient services. The next phase also includes a renovated 14-bed detox unit that is scheduled to open in 2020 within the Akron Campus hospital.
Key advantages of the new facility:
Summa Health is committed to preserving and honoring the legacy of Sister Ignatia and the role of St. Thomas Hospital in the treatment of alcoholism and the establishment of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). To honor this legacy, much of the existing chapel from the St. Thomas Campus will be moved to a new, sacred space within the new facility, where it can be seen and celebrated by the community and all who have been touched by these efforts throughout the nation and the world. In keeping with the spirit of Sister Ignatia, Summa remains committed to restoring hope and bringing healing to patients struggling with emotional pain.