{"id":226336,"date":"2026-03-19T03:13:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T03:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/226336\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T03:13:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T03:13:12","slug":"east-bay-hospital-earns-mental-health-care-recognition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/226336\/","title":{"rendered":"East Bay Hospital Earns Mental Health Care Recognition"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Clayton Warren, Vitals contributor<\/p>\n

An East Bay hospital has earned a major recognition for mental health care and now sits among a select group of behavioral health programs nationwide.<\/p>\n

Sutter\u2019s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center\u2019s adult mental health units at Herrick Campus were officially designated as an Evernorth Behavioral Health Center of Excellence. The national honor is awarded to facilities that meet Evernorth\u2019s rigorous, data driven benchmarks for clinical quality, cost efficient care and a deep commitment to patient well-being.<\/p>\n

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Raynard Ware<\/p>\n

\u201cThis designation reflects the team\u2019s dedication to providing safe, high-quality care in a fiscally responsible manner,\u201d shared Raynard Ware, service line executive for inpatient behavioral health. \u201cOnly about 32% of eligible facilities nationwide received this recognition. Our clinicians, nurses and support teams should feel incredibly proud of what we\u2019ve accomplished together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alta Bates Summit earned high marks across Evernorth\u2019s quality measures \u2014 including follow up care, readmission prevention and care continuity \u2014 demonstrating excellence at every stage of the healing journey. These impressive results reflect strong metrics combined with a culture grounded in compassion, collaboration and unwavering patient-centered focus.<\/p>\n

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Kevin Zeng<\/p>\n

\u201cAchieving Center of Excellence status reflects exceptional clinical quality and a deep commitment to the people we serve,\u201d says Kevin Zeng, Alta Bates Summit\u2019s chief nurse executive. \u201cOur behavioral health team shows every day what it means to meet the community with dignity, compassion and unwavering support.\u201d<\/p>\n

Offering Comprehensive Care for All Ages
Alta Bates Summit\u2019s Behavioral Health program offers a robust blend of inpatient and outpatient services that reflect the growing need for mental health care \u2014 a need that touches nearly one in five adults in the United States. An important program differentiator is its dedication to offering tailored care across all stages of life. Whether it\u2019s a teenager grappling with anxiety or an adult struggling with depression, Alta Bates Summit provides programs that cater to different ages and needs.<\/p>\n

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Dr. Ursula Boynton<\/p>\n

\u201cMental health is essential to the overall health of our community, and this recognition affirms the expertise and empathy our teams bring forward every day,\u201d said Dr. Ursula Boynton, Alta Bates Summit\u2019s chief medical executive. \u201cThis vision is taking shape through Sutter Health\u2019s Ambulatory Expansion Plan for Behavioral Health, which leverages technology and team-based care to improve early screening and ongoing management.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tCompassion at the Core<\/p>\n

The Alta Bates Summit Behavioral Health program provides care across a robust continuum, serving adults and seniors with a wide range of mental health needs. The 65-bed inpatient unit delivers:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Tailored treatment plans for adults and older adults
\n\u2022 Specialized dual-diagnosis care for substance use and mental health
\n\u2022 Advanced therapeutic modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy
\n\u2022 Holistic recovery programs, from medical detox to partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient services At every level, team members strive to meet patients where they are \u2014 with dignity, respect, and evidence-based care that promotes long term healing.<\/p>\n

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Merritt Peralta Institute Addiction Care Services
Merritt Peralta Institute, part of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, plays a key role in Alta Bates Summit\u2019s behavioral health continuum by providing medically supervised substance use disorder care for adults across the region. A CARF-accredited recovery hospital located at the Summit Campus in Oakland, MPI offers detoxification and residential treatment supported by 24-hour nursing care and integrated mental health services. This coordinated, medical model reinforces substance use disorder as a treatable condition and supports continuity of care for patients with complex behavioral health needs.<\/p>\n

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Timothy Jones<\/p>\n

\u201cAlta Bates Summit\u2019s Center of Excellence designation reflects the strength of a truly integrated behavioral health continuum, including the specialized addiction care provided through Merritt Peralta Institute,\u201d said Timothy Jones, senior director of mental health services. \u201cAt MPI, we treat substance use disorder as a medical condition and work closely with our behavioral health and medical partners to deliver coordinated, compassionate care that supports long-term recovery and continuity for patients.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tPart of a Systemwide Momentum<\/p>\n

This recognition aligns with Sutter Health\u2019s broader behavioral health strategy to improve access, expand services and integrate mental health across the system.<\/p>\n

With more than 90,000 behavioral health referrals each year, Sutter is investing in:<\/p>\n

\u2022 New and expanded inpatient programs
\n\u2022 Outpatient clinics and crisis stabilization resources, like the new EmPATH unit at Sutter Coast
\n\u2022 Growing substance use disorder services \u2022 Embedding behavioral health specialists directly into primary care
\n\u2022 Workforce development and clinician well-being initiatives<\/p>\n

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Looking Ahead
Leaders say the Center of Excellence designation is a testament to the dedication and heart behind Alta Bates Summit\u2019s Behavioral Health program. It affirms the work these teams do every day and strengthens the resolve to continue expanding access, improving outcomes and supporting the well-being of East Bay residents.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the conversation around mental health continues to evolve, so too will the services and support offered by pioneers like those at Alta Bates Summit,\u201d adds Ware.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Clayton Warren, Vitals contributor An East Bay hospital has earned a major recognition for mental health care…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":226337,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[143,145,144],"class_list":["post-226336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-oakland","tag-oakland","tag-oakland-headlines","tag-oakland-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=226336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226336\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/226337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=226336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=226336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=226336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}