The Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine is set to open in April. The center will open in phases beginning with geriatric care and will open adult services soon after. The 64-bed adult and geriatric behavioral health center is a result of a partnership among National HealthCare Corporation (NYSE American: NHC), Tennova Healthcare, and The University of Tennessee Medical Center.

“We look forward to offering this much needed lifeline to our community,” said Shawna Nymeyer, PhD, vice president of behavioral health at NHC. “Trusted healthcare partners have come together to offer a different approach to behavioral medicine. Our focus will be on the therapeutic treatment of our patients—not just crisis stabilization. Our interdisciplinary team is focused on delivering evidence-based treatment and supporting our patients throughout the continuum of care.”

The center will provide a comprehensive continuum of care for adults and geriatric patients with psychiatric, emotional, and addictive disorders. Partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs will be offered with individualized treatment plans based on clinical need.

“We have experienced a tremendous need for behavioral healthcare for our geriatric patients,” said Jay Nason, regional vice president of NHC’s East Tennessee Region. “The Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine will provide access to high-quality care for our patients and an invaluable resource for our healthcare centers.”

"Continuing to navigate during a pandemic has shown us many challenges, one of which has been access to mental health resources," states Tony Benton, president and chief executive officer of Tennova Healthcare. "This project is representative of Tennova’s commitment to our community. By partnering with other respected providers such as NHC and UTMC we can more effectively deliver a much needed behavioral health service to improve the quality of lives in the Knoxville region."

“We are proud to collaborate with NHC and Tennova to address the current need for high-quality, inpatient behavioral health care services for the East Tennessee community,” said Joe Landsman, president and chief executive officer of The University of Tennessee Medical Center. “The Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine will enhance our ability to coordinate the care our patients receive throughout their entire episode.”

Clay McCoy has been named chief executive officer of the hospital, and Brent Coyle, MD, has been named chief medical officer. The 55,000-square-foot facility will be located at the new Tennova Health Park at 1240 Tennova Medical Way. The center will provide more than 100 jobs for Knox County.

For more information, visit www.knoxvillebehavioralmedicine.com.

About National HealthCare Corporation

NHC affiliates operate for themselves and third parties 75 skilled nursing facilities with 9,473 beds. NHC affiliates also operate 24 assisted living communities, five independent living communities, one behavioral health hospital, 34 homecare agencies, and 28 hospice agencies. NHC’s other services include Alzheimer’s and memory care units, pharmacy services, a rehabilitation services company, and providing management and accounting services to third party post-acute operators. For more information, visit www.nhccare.com

About Tennova Healthcare

The Tennova Healthcare network of hospitals in East Tennessee includes Jefferson Memorial Hospital, LaFollette Medical Center, Newport Medical Center, North Knoxville Medical Center and Turkey Creek Medical Center with nearly 16,000 admissions, 410,000 outpatient visits and 125,000 emergency department visits each year. Learn more at www.Tennova.com.

About The University of Tennessee Medical Center

The mission of The University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC), a Magnet® recognized hospital also certified by The Joint Commission as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, is to serve through healing, education and discovery. UTMC is a 710-bed, not-for-profit academic medical center, with a regional network of primary care and specialty care physicians and practices as well as outpatient regional health centers and urgent care locations throughout its 21-county primary service area. The medical center, the region’s ACS-verified Level I Trauma Center and state designated regional perinatal referral center with a Level III private room NICU, is one of the largest employers in Knoxville. UTMC features eight Centers of Excellence, including the Brain & Spine Institute, Cancer Institute, Emergency & Trauma Center, Heart Lung Vascular Institute, Orthopaedic Institute, Center for Perioperative Medicine, Primary Care Collaborative and Center for Women & Infants. Visit UTMedicalCenter.org for more information.

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