Governor Steve Beshear joined local leaders, state officials and representatives from University of Kentucky and UK HealthCare for a ribbon-cutting at the new Eastern State Hospital facility. The new hospital is located at UK’s Coldstream Research Campus in Lexington and will open this month.

The 239-bed, approximately 300,000-square-foot replacement facility will provide a modern setting for inpatient psychiatric treatment, along with specialized services for individuals with acquired brain injuries, and individuals with psychiatric disabilities requiring nursing facility level of care and forensic mental health services.

In addition to the inpatient hospital, the new Eastern State Hospital campus will include three 11,000-square-foot personal care homes, each with 16 beds, offering a less restrictive level of care that promotes patients’ return to a community setting. These personal care homes will provide residential psychiatric services and serve as a step down from the acute care setting.

“To see this project come to fruition is truly rewarding,” said Gov. Beshear. “The improvements in how Kentucky cares for individuals with mental health needs as a result of the new hospital should make us all proud.”

The $129 million facility replaces the 185-year-old Eastern State Hospital, the second oldest psychiatric hospital in the country. It will be managed and operated by UK HealthCare, through an agreement with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS). This new partnership will not only maintain and improve quality patient care, but also allows UK to leverage its considerable expertise in research and clinical therapies to modernize treatment options while training the next generation of behavioral health providers.

Gov. Beshear was joined at today’s ceremony by Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, State Representative Jimmie Lee, of Elizabethtown, University of Kentucky President Dr. Eli Capilouto, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs for UK Dr. Michael Karpf and CHFS Secretary Audrey Tayse Haynes.

“Today we take a giant step forward,” Mayor Gray said. “From facilities built before the Civil War and into a modern, state-of-the-art facility; from the nation’s second oldest psychiatric hospital to one of its most advanced. It is a big step of progress for all Kentuckians, but especially for those who suffer from mental disabilities. Many of these patients and their families have been waiting for decades for this day. Gratitude and thanks and blessings to everyone involved.”

“This is a real happening for me,” said Rep. Lee. “I cannot put into words what this facility means to me and what the support services offered here will mean for literally thousands of our citizens needing mental health care.”

“Today is a day to celebrate a partnership in care for many of Kentucky’s most vulnerable citizens,” said President Capilouto. “With a state-of-the-art facility financed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the best in high-quality, high-touch expertise and care from UK HealthCare, we begin a new day in providing the best mental health care for the region we serve.”

“UK HealthCare recognizes the critical role mental health services plays in providing for the overall health care needs of Kentuckians,” said Dr. Karpf. “This new state-of-the-art facility will enable us to provide the highest level of care as well recruit and retain researchers who will advance our knowledge of the prevention, early detection and treatment of behavioral health disorders.”

The Eastern State Hospital project involves a unique agreement between UK, Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC), the state and the city of Lexington. Under the agreement, Eastern State moves from its campus on Newtown Pike to the Coldstream Research Campus location; BCTC moves from UK’s Lexington campus to the current Eastern State location; and UK takes over BCTC’s location on Cooper Drive, which provides the university with additional parking.

Construction on the facility began in late 2010 and was overseen by D.W. Wilburn, construction manager for the replacement project. The facility is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified, meaning it meets the highest green building and performance measures.

“This facility will offer us the ability to provide improved and expanded services to better meet patient needs,” said CHFS Secretary Haynes. “The advances we’ll be making in patient treatment simply cannot be overstated. I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone who has worked so tirelessly to make the new Eastern State Hospital a reality, and to our new partners UK HealthCare, who I know will continue to work hard every day to provide the best patient care possible.”

Eastern State Hospital serves an average of 2,000 patients per year from 80 Kentucky counties. The primary counties served include Boyle, Fayette, Franklin, Kenton and Madison, ranging from 65 to 279 patients annually.