Wallace Foundation Provides Funding for Children’s Psychiatric Hospital
The leadership gift provided by the Wallace Foundation helped KVC Hospitals secure a $1 million challenge grant from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as well as more than $5.5 million from out-of-county and out-of-state funders.
The new treatment center, KVC Hospitals Wichita, opened July 15, 2019, at 1507 West 21st Street North. KVC Hospitals renovated and expanded the 30,000-square-foot building that was previously the Kansas Orthopedic Center, adding 2,000 square feet. The new facility includes 54 beds for children, a dining room, gymnasium, and outdoor recreation area.
The mission of KVC Hospitals Wichita is to provide acute inpatient psychiatric treatment to children ages six to 18 who are experiencing depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, childhood trauma, and other behavioral and mental health needs.
“Children and families deserve a treatment experience that’s nurturing and therapeutic in their moment of highest need,” said Juston White, executive director of KVC Hospitals Wichita. “We’re here to support the city of Wichita in meeting that demand.”
According to KVC Hospitals, prior to opening KVC Hospitals Wichita, more than 800 children from the Wichita area were referred to other KVC Hospitals locations annually. This meant that each year, hundreds of families drove three or more hours to receive emergency psychiatric treatment for their children. Thus, KVC Hospitals recognized the need for more mental health services in the Wichita area.
“With the help of the Wallace Foundation, KVC Hospitals Wichita has provided life-saving care for more than 850 children in our first seven months,” said White.
As the need for mental health care continues to rise nationwide, KVC Hospitals Wichita has the capacity and staff to treat thousands of children annually.
To contact the Admissions and Referrals team at KVC Hospitals Wichita, call (913) 890-7468, email hospitaladmissions@kvc.org, or visit the website.
More About the Wallace Foundation
Founded by Dwane and Velma Wallace in 1989, the Wallace Foundation’s mission is to support a wide variety of tax-exempt, charitable organizations primarily in the Wichita, Kansas area, and secondarily in the state of Kansas, in the categories of arts and culture, education, community development and enhancement, social services and needs, and quality of life.
To find out more about contributions the Wallace Foundation has made, visit the Organizations We Fund page.