Cincinnati Children's will use a $15 million donation from the James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Foundation to create a new behavioral health institute.
The new Mental and Behavioral Health Institute will work to integrate Cincinnati Children's three behavioral health clinical divisions. Across the three divisions, 1,000 clinicians are working on providing behavioral health services, according to an Oct. 9 Cincinnati Children's news release.
Cincinnati Children's has launched a national search to find a director for the institute, which aims to eliminate youth suicide in the region.
"We believe that healthcare has work to do to integrate mental and behavioral health into all medical care and to assure that all children have equitable access to the care they need and deserve. Our Mental and Behavioral Health Institute will serve as a model and a resource that others can turn to as they address the challenges facing their communities," Cincinnati Children's Chief Medical Officer Tina Cheng, MD, said in the news release.