OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — It was a historic day in Oklahoma City, and a sign of progress as officials broke ground on a new $150 million mental health hospital.
State officials said the Donahue Behavioral Health Hospital will provide first-class care to adults and children across Oklahoma.
“This incredibly beautiful building will exude excellence,” said Ali Friesen, commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
On Thursday, several officials threw up confetti to celebrate the construction of a new psychiatric hospital.
“We’re a big city of 1.5 million people, we’re a city of 700,000 people. You know, we need these services. We need hospitals like this.” OKC Mayor David Holt said.
The city’s mayor, officials from the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Oklahoma leaders and the Legislature all spoke about how the groundbreaking marks a turning point in the care available to Oklahomans.
“In Oklahoma City, for the first 130 years of our city’s history, we have invested nothing in mental health services at the city level,” Holt said. “This is obviously a very exciting opportunity.”
The 330-bed facility is expected to be the largest hospital in Oklahoma and bring more jobs and resources to Oklahoma City, a major milestone for mental health progress, leaders said.
“The reality is that we have a mental health crisis in this country and in the state of Oklahoma, and we want to open these facilities as quickly as possible and staff them as best we can so that we can begin treating and recovering patients. They’re on the road to recovery,” said Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.).
Officials said they hope to open the facility in 2026.
