Celebrating 125 Years of Behavioral Health Care

NewYork-Presbyterian celebrated 125 years of providing comprehensive, compassionate behavioral health care and unveiled a new name for its leading academic psychiatric center: NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center.

“For 125 years, NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center has been an incredible resource for patients and families seeking comprehensive, compassionate care for mental health needs,” said Dr. Laura Forese, executive vice president and chief operating officer of NewYork-Presbyterian. “We honor this legacy as we continue our innovative and pioneering work in psychiatry today. Our new name reflects our commitment to providing patient-centered behavioral healthcare, support, and services for our patients.”

Hundreds of hospital staff, supporters and elected officials came together to celebrate the milestone. Mental illnesses affect millions of people in the U.S. — 1 in 5 American adults experiences mental illness in a given year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Since opening its doors in White Plains, New York, in 1894, the newly named NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center has been at the forefront of the movement known as moral treatment, with Weill Cornell Medicine psychiatrists providing patient-centered care in facilities specifically designed to offer the tranquility and activities required for mental health healing. The movement also focused on treating patients with dignity, compassion, and respect. Today, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital’s psychiatry specialty is ranked among the top five in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.

“We are deeply proud to be a part of NewYork-Presbyterian’s long history of excellence in psychiatric care and putting patients’ needs first,” said Dr. Philip Wilner, senior vice president and chief operating officer of NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center and a professor of clinical psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine. “We are so pleased to celebrate this milestone anniversary and our commitment to clinical excellence, an outstanding patient experience, translational research, and educational innovation.”

For more than a century, NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center has provided care for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults from all backgrounds by offering services across the continuum of behavioral healthcare through inpatient, partial hospitalization, and outpatient programs. Programs include the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, a state-of-the-art facility serving children, adults, and families dealing with autism spectrum disorders; the Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, offering specialized care for depression and mood disorders in older adults; and the Center for Eating Disorders, designed to help individuals with eating disorders work toward recovery in a comfortable and supportive environment.

NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center is consistently recognized for its excellence in care. In 2011, it was the first behavioral health hospital in the nation to be formally named by Planetree Inc. as a “Planetree Designated Patient-Centered Hospital” in recognition of its achievement and innovation in the delivery of patient-centered care. At the end of 2018, the campus, including NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center’s Psychiatry Program, received national recognition for excellence in nursing from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program®, the most prestigious distinction that a healthcare organization can earn for nursing.

For more information on behavioral health services at NewYork-Presbyterian, visit NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center.