AdventHealth Opens New Behavioral Health Clinic; Launches Campaign to Support Additional Initiatives

May 19, 2023 — MERRIAM, KS – AdventHealth has opened a new Psychiatry and Wellbeing practice on the AdventHealth Shawnee Mission campus at 75^th Street and I-35 as part of a new 4,000-square-foot behavioral health outpatient services center. Construction was made possible by a $1 million gift to AdventHealth Kansas City Foundation from Dr. Doug and Barbara Cusick. The practice is an expansion of AdventHealth’s behavioral health offerings, which also include an inpatient unit and intensive outpatient services.

The Foundation launched a $15 million fundraising campaign to support behavioral health in Kansas City. The second phase of the project, which includes completion of the first floor of the behavioral health outpatient clinic, creating a dedicated space for Intensive Outpatient Therapy on the second floor of the building and renovating the hospital’s inpatient behavioral health unit, has received a lead gift of $5 million from the Sunderland Family Foundation.

“AdventHealth Shawnee Mission has provided behavioral health treatment for 49 years and we are eager to continue doing so in the years to come,” said Sam Huenergardt, CEO for the Mid-America Region of AdventHealth. “We are committed to whole-person care by not just focusing on physical health but the mind and spirit as well.”

The renovations and expansion will not only increase availability of behavioral health services in the Kansas City area, but will also create intentional, welcoming spaces in a healing environment. Once the campaign is complete, AdventHealth will be able to offer more treatment options with a continuum of care to provide support through a patient’s entire treatment journey.

“Our 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment showed that behavioral health was a major challenge in our community, with a lack of available resources and treatment options,” said Laurie McCormack, Executive Director of AdventHealth Kansas City Foundation. “This campaign was created to ensure Kansas Citians have access to the care and resources they need in a calming environment.”

AdventHealth partnered with Evardy Construction, h/d Architecture and 5By5 Engineers to design and build the first phase of the project.