Health systems are pouring capital, staff and new programs into outpatient behavioral health, and the numbers explain why. Demand is growing far faster than population trends alone would predict, and the gap between requests for care and available appointments is already straining even well-resourced systems.
A 2026 Vizient Impact of Change forecast found that adult outpatient behavioral health volumes are on track to grow 22% by 2036 — more than seven times the 3% increase a population-based model alone would suggest.
In response, hospitals and health systems of every size and specialty are expanding outpatient access — building internal workforces, opening new programs and, in at least one case, making a nine-figure acquisition to extend care beyond their walls.
Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger has taken the workforce-building approach furthest. The system has grown its outpatient behavioral health provider roster from 26 in 2017 to more than 200 in 2026, a shift Imad Melhem, MD, chair of Geisinger’s Institute of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, described as a deliberate move away from third-party telehealth staffing brought on during the pandemic.
Even with that growth, Geisinger still fields up to 900 outpatient appointment requests in a typical week but can only accommodate 600 to 650 of them. Dr. Melhem said winding down outside contracts while ramping up hiring required careful pacing, since recruitment — particularly in hard-to-recruit specialties — doesn’t always move as fast as staffing cuts. The system also restructured care delivery around teams that pair psychiatrists with advanced practice providers and case managers, so patients aren’t limited to a single provider’s schedule.
Other systems are betting on scale through acquisition rather than building from scratch. King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services closed an $835 million acquisition of Talkspace on Aug. 17, adding roughly 6,000 licensed behavioral health professionals and virtual care reach to more than 200 million people.
UHS CFO Steve Filton told Becker’s that behavioral health has consistently carried higher margins than the system’s acute care business, and that demand continues to exceed capacity in many markets. He said UHS has historically been strongest in inpatient and residential behavioral care, and the deal is meant to extend the system’s reach into outpatient and virtual settings, creating what CEO Marc Miller has called the nation’s first end-to-end behavioral healthcare continuum.
The investment isn’t limited to adult care. Dallas-based Children’s Health opened four new outpatient behavioral health programs at Children’s Medical Center Plano, expanding access for children, adolescents and families across Collin County and North Texas.
The new offerings include a Teen Recovery Program — the only one of its kind in the region — along with a suicide prevention and resilience initiative, outpatient psychiatry and psychology services, and autism-focused outpatient care. The system cited a 2025 report finding that nearly 20% of children ages 3 to 17 have a mental, emotional, developmental or behavioral disorder as part of the case for expansion.
At the Becker's Fall Behavioral Health Summit, taking place November 4–5 in Chicago, behavioral health leaders and executives will explore strategies for expanding access to care, integrating services, addressing workforce challenges and leveraging innovation to improve outcomes across the behavioral health continuum. Apply for complimentary registration now.
