Nationwide Children’s Hospital celebrated the groundbreaking today of the Big Lots Behavioral Health Pavilion, a freestanding facility fully dedicated to children and adolescents with behavioral health conditions. Thanks to a transformational $50 million gift from Big Lots and Big Lots Foundation, it will be the largest behavioral health treatment and research center dedicated to children and adolescents on a pediatric medical campus in the U.S.
Solely devoted to children and adolescents with behavioral health challenges and illnesses, the Pavilion will be nine stories at completion. The space will house behavioral health researchers and foster collaboration between community partner agencies. It will also provide the opportunity for expanded education and training for those in the mental and behavioral health field. The approximately 386,000 sq. ft. building is slated to open in 2020.
“The Pavilion is not just another building on our campus. Following the latest evidence-based treatment philosophies, the building provides patients with access to open community spaces instead of keeping them isolated,” said David Axelson, MD, chief of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Nationwide Children’s and medical director of Big Lots Behavioral Health Services. “Patient safety is a priority, and the Pavilion has been designed for the unique needs of behavioral health patients.”
The building will ramp up to support 48 inpatient beds - with capacity for more in the future - for three units: Adolescent Inpatient, Child Inpatient and Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities. It will also have a Youth Crisis Stabilization Unit consisting of 16 additional beds, and a Psychiatric Crisis Center consisting of 10 additional beds.
Clinical programs housed within the Pavilion include five outpatient programs: Outpatient Crisis Clinic, Mood & Anxiety, Family Based Intensive Treatment, General Psychiatry and a Partial Hospitalization Program. The Center for Suicide Prevention & Research will also be housed here. Designed to enhance the family-centered care approach to treatment, the Pavilion will have a Family Resource Center, a rooftop outdoor play area, and worship and meditation spaces.
“Families need our help. We need to break the stigma and let everyone know it’s okay to talk about it and seek help,” said David Campisi, Big Lots Chief Executive Officer and President, and Nationwide Children’s board member. "The Pavilion will be at the center of this national conversation.”
The Pavilion is part of a $730 million investment that Nationwide Children’s announced in 2016, as part of an acceleration of its strategic plan. The total investment for the Pavilion is $158 million.
“I am incredibly proud of our Board’s commitment to addressing the needs of children,” said Steve Allen, MD, CEO of Nationwide Children’s. “The new pavilion is a key component to our ambitious plan to substantially improve access to high quality behavioral health services.”
About Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report’s 2016-17 list of “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of America’s largest not-for-profit freestanding pediatric healthcare systems providing wellness, preventive, diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative care for infants, children and adolescents, as well as adult patients with congenital disease. Nationwide Children’s has a staff of more than 11,000 providing state-of-the-art pediatric care during more than 1.2 million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded freestanding pediatric research facilities. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.
About Big Lots Foundation
Big Lots Foundation is committed to improving and enriching the lives of families and children through meaningful investments in the areas of healthcare, housing, hunger, and education. Giving takes place throughout the United States where Big Lots operates stores, distribution centers, and the corporate office in Columbus, Ohio. Big Lots’ giving is amplified because of the generosity of Big Lots associates, customers, and supplier companies.
Fly through the Big Lots Behavioral Health Pavilion in this video.
Pediatric Mental Illness: Watch the video and join us to break the stigma.
The Big Lots Behavioral Health Pavilion at Nationwide Children's Hospital will be a freestanding facility fully dedicated to children and adolescents with behavioral health conditions.
The Big Lots Behavioral Health Pavilion brings the outdoors to our patients with creatively designed peaceful courtyards. The open spaces will be a key part of therapy and treatment, with a focus on natural light to help with the healing process.