Universal Health Services Acquires Palo Verde Mental Health Facility

By Balazs Szekely, Associate Editor

Universal Health Services Inc. of Tucson LLC has announced the acquisition of Palo Verde Mental Health from Tucson Medical Center. The institution has been renamed Palo Verde Behavioral Health.

One of the largest hospital companies in the US, Universal Health Services operates more than 196 behavioral health facilities in 37 states. They include two Arizona hospitals, Valley Hospital and Calvary Addiction Recovery Center, both in Phoenix. Besides establishing its presence in the Tucson market, the company continues to expand its behavioral health operations in Arizona by the late 2013 acquisition of a 67,324-square-foot medical building in north Phoenix that will also be converted into a psychiatric hospital.

Palo Verde offers inpatient care and outpatient or partial hospitalization care for people with serious mental illnesses, mental health and substance abuse disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Currently, 48 adult inpatient psychiatric beds are available, but the new owners plan to expand capacity. “UHS looks forward to working in partnership with Tucson Medical Center in expanding the facility’s capacity to 84 inpatient beds by the end of 2014.” said Debra Osteen,  president of  UHS’ Behavioral Health Division in a release. “Additionally we look to develop child and adolescent behavioral health programs to meet the great need and demand in southern Arizona for these services,” she added.

Under UHS, Palo Verde Behavioral Health becomes a free-standing, for-profit, private psychiatric facility and continues providing inpatient and intensive outpatient psychiatric services. Treatment programs include Adult Psychiatric Intensive Care, Adult General Psychiatric Treatment, Adult Inpatient Detox and Intensive Outpatient Treatment.

Image of TMC’s Tucson Orthopedic Institute, courtesy of Google Maps