Yesterday, legislators and legislative and gubernatorial staff toured the under-construction Behavioral Health Teaching Facility (BHTF) at UW Medical Center-Northwest. Scheduled to open in early 2025, the one-of-a-kind facility will provide high quality, fully integrated behavioral health care to Washington patients, as well as serve as an interdisciplinary training facility for current and future healthcare professionals.
During their tour, the group was able to see the building’s innovative layout and hear about the cutting-edge methods and technologies that will be used to provide care for patients with a wide range of behavioral health needs. The BHTF will also serve people and local communities across the state through 24/7 telehealth services and patient-coordinated care with local providers. Legislators were impressed by the facility’s emphasis on patient-centered care and the multidisciplinary, clinical educational opportunities for current and future providers, which will help the state’s critical healthcare workforce needs.
The tour attendees also had the opportunity to speak with UW Medicine leaders and healthcare professionals, who shared their excitement about the improved access Washington residents will have to needed behavioral health services and their belief that the facility will bring the best and brightest future behavioral healthcare providers to the state. They also highlighted the work UW Medicine is doing as the state’s safety-net health care provider and the resources needed to continue to serve the state’s most vulnerable populations.
Overall, legislators were excited about the potential for the facility to serve as a model for other behavioral health facilities in the state and the positive impact it will make for Washington residents.
Thank you to Reps. Frank Chopp, Steve Tharinger, Nicole Macri, Gerry Pollet, and Javier Valdez, Sen. June Robinson, and the legislative and gubernatorial staff members for participating in the tour. We appreciate your continued support of the UW!