Presbyterian Health Foundation investment in Oklahoma Children’s OU Health Behavioral Health Center reaches $1 million. Additional $500,000 grant supports expanded pediatric care ahead of December opening and encourages community giving
Presbyterian Health Foundation has awarded an additional $500,000 Mission Impact grant to the Oklahoma Children’s OU Health Behavioral Health Center, bringing its total investment in the project to $1 million.
The center is scheduled to open in December 2026, expanding access to specialized behavioral healthcare for children across Oklahoma.
Approved by the foundation’s board in September, the grant builds on its initial $500,000 gift in 2023. The additional investment will help narrow the remaining fundraising gap, and the foundation is encouraging others to support the campaign.
The six-story, 172,775-square-foot center will be Oklahoma’s first comprehensive pediatric behavioral health facility integrated with a children’s hospital. It will add 72 inpatient beds for short-term stabilization and longer-term treatment, with space in every patient room for a parent to stay with their child.
“Children and families across Oklahoma need greater access to specialized behavioral healthcare,” said Jonathan W. Curtright, MBA, MHA, president and CEO of OU Health, the University of Oklahoma’s academic health system. “Presbyterian Health Foundation’s continued investment is helping us meet that need and demonstrates the difference philanthropic partners can make in the care available to Oklahoma children.”
The foundation views its role as part of a larger community commitment.
“We wanted to build on our earlier investment to help bring this important campaign closer to completion,” said Rick McCune, president of Presbyterian Health Foundation. “Children’s behavioral health is a shared responsibility, and this center represents an opportunity to strengthen care for families throughout Oklahoma. We hope our commitment encourages others to join us in supporting its future.”
Services will include intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs, offering treatment options for children who need more support than routine outpatient appointments provide. A specialized neurodevelopmental unit, recreation and outdoor spaces, and family resources will support care tailored to children’s needs.
“For a child with complex medical and behavioral health needs, access to integrated specialty care is essential,” said Rasim Somer Diler, MD, MBA, DFAACAP, clinical service chief of psychiatry and behavioral health at OU Health and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. “This state-of-the-art center will bring that care together in an environment designed for children, with families involved throughout treatment. Presbyterian Health Foundation is helping make that care available to more Oklahoma families.”
In recognition of its contributions, the center’s main lobby waiting area will bear Presbyterian Health Foundation’s name.
Development of the center has been supported by the Oklahoma Legislature, University Hospitals Authority and Trust, and philanthropic partners. The campaign continues to accept donations to help fund programs, family resources and expanded pediatric behavioral health services across the state.
To learn more about the Oklahoma Children’s OU Health Behavioral Health Center or to make a donation, visit Giving.OUHealth.com/BHC
