New Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital Opens

Jayne Van Bramer, CEO of Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, today announced the opening of the new behavioral health facility, greatly expanding access to inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment across the region.

A partnership between Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health and Universal Health Services, the new Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital will serve adolescent, adult and older adult patients. While Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital will have a soft opening and begin accepting patients on July 9, the facility will continue to add programs and services as the need arises.

“The new Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital will address the current and growing need for inpatient behavioral healthcare and will continue serving the community with vital resources well into the future,” said Debbie Osteen, Executive Vice President, UHS and President, Behavioral Health Division. “The excellent team of clinicians and staff hired at Lancaster Behavioral are focused on delivering robust clinical outcomes for patients and their families.”

“Lancaster County’s growing population and greater recognition for mental and physical health care, led us to determine that a hospital dedicated to behavioral health was essential to filling the service gaps that existed in our community,” said Jan Bergen, CEO, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. “This hospital will deliver enhanced treatment options and both inpatient and outpatient services to patients and families throughout our region.”

According to Jayne Van Bramer, CEO of Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, “Our philosophy of treatment embodies the belief that recovery is possible for every person with a psychiatric diagnosis. Providing optimal care for those who choose to heal is a matter of identifying the unique needs of each person, and providing a treatment plan that addresses the whole person, not merely a list of symptoms. Our values to provide strength- and evidence-based, trauma-informed, recovery-oriented care is the difference that sets Lancaster Behavioral apart from other psychiatric hospitals.”

In addition to the general adult unit and dedicated adolescent unit, the new facility will also offer services for treating those with co-occurring disorders on the psychiatric-medical unit, an intensive adult unit to care for those with severe conditions, as well as a women’s trauma unit.

The new 126-bed facility will utilize the latest equipment and industry-recognized procedures to provide a caring environment for each patient while also ensuring the safety of patients and care providers. Each unit dayroom features access to a courtyard with outdoor therapeutic space.