UNC Health Pardee Opens Pardee Adolescent Behavioral Health Center
UNC Health Pardee has officially opened Pardee Adolescent Behavioral Health Center, bringing access to specialized inpatient psychiatric care for adolescents experiencing behavioral health crises to Henderson County and communities across the region.
Located within Pardee Hospital, the 23-bed center provides acute inpatient psychiatric care for adolescents whose needs can be appropriately treated in a hospital-based psychiatric setting. The center is designed to provide a safe, supportive environment where adolescents can receive specialized care and families can access support during a behavioral health crisis.
The center addresses a critical gap in the region’s behavioral health system that Bridget Fluech, RN, Administrative Director of Behavioral Health & Emergency Medicine at Pardee, describes as the “missing middle” in youth mental health care.
For some adolescents experiencing a behavioral health crisis, outpatient services may no longer provide the level of care they need, but an emergency department is not designed to provide the ongoing, specialized care they require. Until now, families in Western North Carolina have faced limited options for accessing appropriate inpatient behavioral health services, often requiring travel outside the region.
“Opening Pardee Adolescent Behavioral Health Center represents a significant investment in the health and future of our community,” said Jay Kirby, president and CEO of UNC Health Pardee. “When our youth are experiencing a behavioral health crisis, families need to know there is somewhere they can turn for specialized care. This center allows us to meet that need, while strengthening the continuum of behavioral health services available throughout Western North Carolina.”
The need for accessible behavioral health services continues to grow across North Carolina. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Child Behavioral Health Dashboard tracks behavioral health diagnoses and emergency department utilization among children and adolescents across the state, and regional data also demonstrates significant behavioral health needs across Western North Carolina.
Pardee Adolescent Behavioral Health Center is made possible through a partnership among UNC Health Pardee, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Vaya Health, and the UNC School of Medicine. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to expanding access to behavioral health services for adolescents and strengthening the continuum of care available to families in Western North Carolina.
The center’s multidisciplinary care team provides treatment focused on stabilization, recovery, and transition to appropriate follow-up care. The facility includes patient rooms and dedicated spaces designed to support therapy, recreation, education, and other activities that promote healing and resilience.
The center’s inpatient services are intended for adolescents experiencing behavioral health conditions or crises that require acute psychiatric treatment in a hospital-based setting. Care is provided by a multidisciplinary team with expertise in adolescent behavioral health, with treatment focused on stabilization, recovery, and connecting patients and families with appropriate support for continued care.
“Opening this center represents our commitment to intervene earlier, to support families more completely, and to invest in the future of our community,” shared Fluech. “It stands as a promise that when a young person reaches out for help, there will be a place prepared to meet them with compassion, expertise and hope.”
For more information about Pardee Adolescent Behavioral Health Center, visit pardeehospital.org/ABH.
