Today, HonorHealth and Universal Health Services, Inc. officially broke ground to begin construction of a new 120-bed behavioral health facility to be named Via Linda Behavioral Hospital. The new hospital will address the growing need for accessible, high-quality advanced behavioral health services in Phoenix, Scottsdale and the surrounding communities.

UHS will be the majority owner and will oversee the day-to-day operations and management of the new Via Linda Behavioral Hospital, to be constructed at 9160 East Horseshoe Road in Scottsdale, Arizona, on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. The new state-of-the-art facility is expected to open in the third quarter of 2021 and will span more than 73,000 square feet.

Via Linda Behavioral Hospital will provide a full continuum of inpatient services across the entire patient population, including specialty programs to serve adolescents, adults and older adults, and perform behavioral health assessments 24 hours a day. Additionally, programs for co-occurring behavioral health and substance use issues will be offered to meet the unique needs of this patient population. The facility will provide a robust outpatient program utilizing a combination of group, family and individual therapy. Treatment options will include both intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization. Programs will include services for patients experiencing depression, anxiety and bipolar disorders, as well as schizophrenia and other prevalent behavioral health issues. 

“At HonorHealth, we feel a strong responsibility to our community to increase access for this type of care,” said Todd LaPorte, CEO, HonorHealth. “Inspired by the national track record and proven leadership of UHS, HonorHealth pursued a partnership with them as an ideal way to leverage their specialized expertise and their ability to attract talented behavioral health professionals, who are in high demand across the country.” 

“UHS continues to expand its partnerships with leading healthcare organizations across the country to develop behavioral health solutions to meet the unique needs of the system and community,” said Matt Peterson, Executive Vice President and President, Behavioral Health Division, Universal Health Services. “HonorHealth shares our mission to provide patients and their loved ones with compassionate, high-quality behavioral health care, delivered with compassion and respect.” 

Behavioral healthcare continues to be at the forefront of societal concerns among healthcare providers, government officials, legislators and community service organizations in Phoenix and across the country.

Thirty-six percent of adolescents in high school reported having depression symptoms in 2017. In the state of Arizona from 2006 through 2017, emergency department utilization for behavioral health-related disorders increased 173 percent across all primary payers.