SAN DIEGO — September 9, 2024 — Palomar Health, California’s largest public healthcare district, is breaking ground on Palomar Health Behavioral Health Institute, a new, state-of-the-art behavioral health facility being developed through a joint venture partnership with Lifepoint Behavioral Health, a business unit of Lifepoint Health. This vital facility, located in Escondido, will provide much-needed care and set a new standard in behavioral healthcare for adolescents, adults and geriatric patients across San Diego County.
“At Palomar Health, our commitment to reimagining healthcare is driven by our dedication to meet the evolving needs of our community,” said Diane Hansen, President and CEO of Palomar Health. “The Palomar Health Behavioral Health Institute represents a significant step in adapting and growing to provide exceptional, patient-centered care. Partnering with Lifepoint Behavioral Health will help us further our goal of addressing behavioral healthcare fears and creating a supportive environment that truly fulfills the needs of those we serve.”
The two-story facility will consist of 120 beds and provide 84,700 square feet of thoughtfully designed indoor and outdoor recovery space. Palomar Health Behavioral Health Institute will offer an environment that co-facilitates a healing experience alongside comprehensive recovery programs. Essential features of the new facility include atriums, natural light, art and pleasant furnishings — all promoting a warm, calm environment supportive of socialization and engagement among patients within the facility.
This investment in behavioral healthcare follows a similarly innovative partnership between Palomar Health and Lifepoint Rehabilitation, also a business unit of Lifepoint Health, to bring comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation care to the greater San Diego community. The Palomar Health Rehabilitation Institute, developed through a joint venture partnership with Lifepoint Rehabilitation, opened in 2021 and provides essential rehabilitation services for patients recovering from stroke, traumatic brain injury, amputation and other injuries and disorders.
“This is an exciting day for our team as we break ground and begin construction on Palomar Health Behavioral Health Institute,” said Russ Bailey, president of Lifepoint Behavioral Health and Lifepoint Rehabilitation. “Our ongoing partnership with Palomar Health Â鶹Éçmadou proven our commitment to expanding access to vitally needed inpatient rehabilitation and behavioral health services to the communities we serve. We share a commitment to evidence-driven, patient-centered care, and I look forward to seeing all that we accomplish together on behalf of our patients in the greater San Diego region.”
Behavioral health patients will have access to an array of vital medical services at the facility, including individualized treatment plans, medication therapy and management, support groups, individual and milieu therapy, individual and group psychotherapy, family support and education, and inpatient treatment for mental health and co-occurring disorders. Additionally, adolescent patients will have access to separate walk-in and ambulance entrances, group rooms for outpatient care, dining and outdoor recreation areas.
The new facility will also provide the Help for Heroes® program for the first time on the West Coast. The dedicated treatment program is designed to serve the mental health and substance abuse needs of active duty and retired military personnel, veterans, first responders and healthcare workers. Through specialized treatments and the inclusion of a fitness center, community heroes can overcome challenges brought on by repeated exposure to stress or trauma in the line of duty. In a military-dense city such as San Diego, providing proper medical care and recovery options for those who serve is fundamental.
To learn more about Palomar Health’s facilities, visit PalomarHealth.org or call 760.743.0546.
About Palomar Health
Established in 1948, the award-winning team at Palomar Health provides the most comprehensive healthcare in North San Diego County through its two medical centers and more than 900 affiliated medical providers serving more than half a million people. Palomar Health is nationally recognized as operating one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals; a Best 100 Hospital for joint replacement and orthopedic surgery; a Best Hospital for stroke care, heart care and bariatric surgery; a Diabetes and Stroke Center of Excellence; and a Blue Distinction Center for spine surgery, cardiac care and maternity.
Through its network of providers, Palomar Health offers medical services in virtually all fields of medicine, including primary care, cardiovascular care, emergency services, trauma, cancer, orthopedics, women’s health, behavioral health, rehabilitation, robotic surgery and bariatric surgery at offices strategically located throughout the North San Diego County region. For more information, please visit
About Lifepoint Behavioral Health
Lifepoint Behavioral Health specializes in providing compassionate care across the behavioral healthcare continuum. Through its 24 behavioral health hospitals and contract management and joint venture partnerships with hospitals and providers across the country, Lifepoint Behavioral Health offers programs designed to address the unique needs of various patient populations, including adolescents, adults and geriatrics. Lifepoint Behavioral Health Â鶹Éçmadou diversified programming, allowing specific therapy models of treatment while encompassing the whole person. These treatment models provide evidence-based therapies with distinct short- and long-term goals of improving and sustaining mental health. Lifepoint Behavioral Health is a business unit of Brentwood, Tennessee-based Lifepoint Health.
