Tufts Medicine and Melrose Wakefield Hospital Partner With Acadia Healthcare to Build Inpatient Behavioral Health Hospital to Serve Regional Boston Area

Facility Will Be Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health

Tufts Medicine, a leading Massachusetts consumer oriented health system, and Acadia Healthcare Company, the largest standalone provider of behavioral health services in the U.S., announced today that they are forming a joint venture to build a 144-bed inpatient behavioral health facility on the site of the former Malden Hospital in Malden, Mass. The facility will address the critical need for accessible, high-quality inpatient behavioral health services for patients of all ages in the Greater Boston area.

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“There is a critical need for capacity in behavioral health in the Commonwealth. Our plans to redevelop the Malden Hospital site into a state-of-the-art behavioral health hospital will help address the constraints on access to care that our health care providers and our patients and families face every day,” said Michael Dandorph, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tufts Medicine. “We are proud of the services that MelroseWakefield Hospital and Lawrence Memorial Hospital have provided and these plans expand upon the legacy of high-quality, compassionate care they have long delivered to patients.”

Representing a $65 million investment in the community, the proposed 144-bed hospital will provide the latest in inpatient and intensive outpatient behavioral health care programs for its patients, addressing the continuum of care needed to support the wellbeing of patients and their families. As a new construction, the facility will replace the Malden Hospital building and tout a smaller footprint than the existing structure. The project will also set aside more than nine acres of land for conservation and open space, creating lasting benefits for the communities of Malden and Medford.

With a proven track record of collaborating with health systems across the country, Acadia Healthcare maintains a commitment to patient- and family-centered care and strong clinical outcomes.

“Acadia is extremely pleased to be partnering with a premier integrated healthcare system like Tufts Medicine, and one who shares in our mission and values,” said Christopher Hunter, Chief Executive Officer for Acadia Healthcare. “We look forward to creating this modern, patient-centered facility that will provide life-saving services to individuals and families throughout the region. The new hospital will also be a center of excellence for teaching the next generation of clinicians and staff so we can serve the community for many years to come.”

“We are committed to serving the needs of our communities and are excited about our plans to offer state-of-the-art resources in a modern facility that support our dedication to providing quality, compassionate care,” said Daniel Carlat, MD, Medical Director of Inpatient Psychiatry and Chair of Psychiatry at MelroseWakefield Hospital. “Hundreds of patients, including adolescents, are boarding in emergency departments for days due to insufficient psychiatric inpatient bed capacity. We are honored to have the opportunity to expand our programs and services to address behavioral health capacity constraints and community need through partnership with a nationally recognized expert in behavioral health who shares our mission and values for high-quality care.”

The project will go through a local and regulatory review process. Once it is complete, MelroseWakefield Hospital and Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Medford will consolidate their inpatient behavioral health services at the new hospital. The combination of services will contribute to the new center of excellence of comprehensive inpatient care, and the partnership will look to augment current services by developing innovative care delivery models to better integrate behavioral health services.

Tufts Medicine and MelroseWakefield Hospital will be engaging with the community throughout the process, including holding a community meeting to provide more information about the project, answer questions from residents, and hear community feedback. Information about community engagement can be found at MelroseWakefield.org/MaldenHospFuture.

About Tufts Medicine

Tufts Medicine is a leading integrated health system bringing together the best of academic and community healthcare to deliver exceptional, connected and accessible care experiences to consumers across Massachusetts. Comprised of Tufts Medical Center, Lowell General Hospital, MelroseWakefield Hospital, Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford, an expansive home care network and a large integrated physician network, Tufts Medicine has more than 15,000 dedicated care team members providing more than 1.5 million patient experiences per year. The health system is the principal teaching affiliate for Tufts University School of Medicine. Tufts Medicine came together in 2014 to leverage the experience of its member organizations and integrate their missions to together transform the ways that consumers engage with and experience their care.

About Acadia Healthcare

Acadia is a leading provider of behavioral healthcare services across the United States. As of March 31, 2022, Acadia operated a network of 238 behavioral healthcare facilities with approximately 10,600 beds in 40 states and Puerto Rico. With more than 22,500 employees serving approximately 70,000 patients daily, Acadia is the largest stand-alone behavioral health company in the U.S. Acadia provides behavioral healthcare services to its patients in a variety of settings, including inpatient psychiatric hospitals, specialty treatment facilities, residential treatment centers and outpatient clinics.

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