A new 100-bed medical facility for treating patients coping with mental health and substance abuse issues is taking shape on Peoria's north side.
Construction started this spring on the Meadowview Behavioral Hospital, a joint venture between OSF HealthCare and US HealthVest, a developer of psychiatric hospitals with locations across the country, including Chicago and Indianapolis.
During a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday at the facility construction site on Wood Sage Road near Illinois Route 91, OSF HealthCare President Michelle Conger said Meadowview represents “a foundation of hope, care and progress” for individuals and families in the region who are struggling with mental health disorders.
“I think if you think about just behavioral health in general, the needs have escalated, probably prior to COVID, but I think it has gotten worse, particularly people struggling with anxiety, depression,” said Conger. “We need to be able to meet them where they’re at, and this will enable us to do that.”
Along with anxiety and depression, the hospital will serve patients needing treatment for issues including trauma, drug addiction, and other behavioral disorders.
Development of the 64,000-square-foot facility has been in the works for nearly four years. An OSF news release from May 2023 estimated the shared investment at $35 million.
“The building is designed so that it fits with the therapeutic programs that go in on inside the building, and they’re efficient, the environment is pleasant,” said US HealthVest President and CEO Dr. Robert Kresch. “We build our buildings with lots of open space inside, with safe outdoor space so patients can get outdoors every day if they want.”
Kresch said 12 of the 20 psychiatric hospitals operated by his company were built from scratch, as is the case with Meadowview.
“It allows us to segregate patients according to clinical need. So, we have a geriatric unit for the elderly, adolescents for teenagers, different levels of acuity,” he said. “We have what’s called an ICU for acutely troubled people who are in crisis and need to be stabilized. And then we have treatment units that are for patients who are more stable and engaged in therapeutic process.”
Dr. Samuel Sears, director of physician services for OSF’s behavioral health service line, said Peoria’s addition of Meadowview addresses a crucial need in the region.
“Very often, people are having to travel great distances, including Chicago or the St Louis area, to access inpatient psychiatric services,” said Sears. “Now we have 100 beds here within the city to be able to provide individuals with the ability to get care close to home, a continuity of care services, better ability to link with community services that are around. It really improves the opportunity for family and friends to be involved in their care while they’re getting inpatient.
“The added benefit beyond inpatient is this really is going to be comprehensive services, too. There’s an opportunity for partial hospitalization outpatient as well. So, we’re greatly increasing the access to services within the Central Illinois region in a way that is really providing a great opportunity to something that’s of great need throughout our country.”
Sears noted that behavioral health services have been listed among the top five areas in the regular Community Needs Health Assessments for more than a decade.
“This is something that we really do need to be able to provide. It’s an area of great shortage, though. It’s hard to find behavioral health providers,” said Sears. “I’m so very proud of our commitment and US HealthVest’s commitment to our community.”
Conger said while OSF hasn’t had a formal health services partnership with US HealthVest, it has had a working relationship that led to the Meadowview venture.
“We’ve been sending patients to their facilities in Chicago for many years, so our clinicians were familiar with them, and our patients have really good outcomes when they return back to Peoria,” she said. “Then we started talking to them about what would it look like to bring a hospital here to Peoria so that our patients don’t have to travel there.”
Kresch touted the benefits of both organizations working in collaboration on the Meadowview project.
“They provide expertise that we don’t have; we provide expertise that they don’t have. And together we create a better product,” he said. “We share values, and our vision for the hospital and what it is we’re trying to accomplish, are consistent between the two parties.”
Construction on the Meadowview Behavioral Hospital is targeted for completion in the first half of 2026.
