Connect

To all UVA Health Team Members,

Today, I’m incredibly excited to announce a unique partnership between UVA Children’s and Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital, in which we will be opening a new clinic providing neurodevelopmental and behavioral health services for children within the greater Charlottesville community and beyond.

Called the UVA Children's Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Care clinic, the new facility is scheduled to open in mid-2024 and will be staffed by UVA Children’s care providers. It is supported by a substantial investment from Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital, along with other generous gifts from private donors. Once opened, our goal at the clinic will be to provide a compassionate and holistic approach to child health and wellness, by:

• Tripling the number of pediatric mental health providers at UVA from 6 to 18
• Bringing together developmental pediatricians, pediatric psychologists, child psychiatrists and integrative medicine specialists
• Providing equitable access for all children, regardless of their insurance coverage or their family's ability to pay

The need for these services is perhaps greater than ever. Today, approximately 1 in 5 children and teens in the U.S. lives with a mental health condition, presenting challenges to their overall health and neurological development, as well as contributing to feelings of sadness and hopelessness. At the same time, about 1 in 6 children are diagnosed as having a neurodevelopmental disability, while 1 in 54 children are specifically identified as having autism spectrum disorder.

Once opened, the clinic will provide therapy and medication management for anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns, as well as support for patients on the autism spectrum and patients with developmental disabilities, ADHD and learning or behavioral conditions. Group therapy sessions will be available both in person and through telehealth, and all clinic rooms will be equipped with telehealth equipment to ease access for patients and families with transportation issues.

The clinic will include specially designed rooms for Parent-Child Interactive Therapy, where psychologists provide real-time coaching to parents and guardians of young children with behavioral or emotional challenges. The clinic will also incorporate integrative wellness practices, such as yoga, mindfulness and meditation.

I want to thank Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital and the generosity of private donors for joining us in providing this vital care, as well as our team members for the commitment you show for our patients every single day, which makes unique partnerships like this possible. We look forward to opening our new clinic, and further establishing UVA Health as a leading pediatric neurodevelopmental and behavioral services provider.

Thank you for everything you have done — and will continue to do — as we move toward this significant milestone.

Wendy Horton, PharmD
CEO, UVA Medical Center