Wolfson Children’s Hospital is expanding care for youth mental health

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Baptist Health, Wolfson Children’s Hospital, and THE PLAYERS Championship Village, Inc. held a ribbon cutting on Friday for a new $9 million Behavioral Health and Wellness Unit.

It was made possible through donor support.

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The inside of the facility features 20 patient rooms, therapeutic music, and ambient lighting.

“We wanted to create a sanctuary appealing here,” said Kendra Wagner, the Interim Director of Behavioral Health. “Children can choose what type of relaxation music they want.”

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Since the pandemic, Kendra said the need for mental health services has grown.

“We were at any time holding numerous pediatric patients in the ED, we opened an ED pod and there still wasn’t enough space to house children,” said Kendra.

With this new facility, they can expand their capacity and house 20 patients to provide care for children and adolescents requiring hospitalization for mental health conditions.

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“Not only will it help us reduce wait times for behavioral health admissions by 50%, but it will also increase our region’s pediatric behavioral health emergency services by 30%,” said Allegra Jaros, the Wolfson Children’s Hospital President.

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Construction started on the unit in March of 2023 and on Monday, Feb. 12, it will officially open its doors to patients.

“Just to be able to provide a unit like this for these kids and these families too is just astounding,” said Kendra.

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