Palmer, Alaska-based Mat-Su Regional Medical Center’s certification-of-need application to build a freestanding behavioral health hospital was approved by the Alaska Department of Health.
The 50,000-square-foot, 45-bed facility will be built on a 10-acre site east of the hospital’s main campus and will house 27 beds for adults and 18 for adolescents, according to a Feb. 19 news release from the center. The project includes the relocation of 16 existing bed licenses from the hospital’s inpatient unit and aims to expand regional behavioral health capacity.
In 2024, the hospital received 1,253 behavioral health referrals but admitted only 437 patients due to limited bed availability. Across the state, more than 132,000 adults live with a mental health condition, according to the release.
The project is expected to cost $70 million, take 24 to 36 months of construction and create about 50 jobs once completed.
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