MONTEREY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Montage Health will celebrate the upcoming fall opening of its long-awaited Ohana campus, a 55,600-square-foot residential and outpatient facility designed to provide mental health care and treatment for youth and their families. The event on September 27, 2023 will feature Ohana Medical Director Dr. Susan Swick, California Surgeon General Dr. Diana Ramos, and Monterey County resident and philanthropist Roberta Buffett Elliott, who donated $105.8 million to make the Ohana vision of family-centered mental health care a reality.
“The opening of the Ohana campus is a milestone in addressing the youth mental health crisis that affects one in four families in the United States,” said Steven Packer, MD, President and CEO of Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and Montage Health. “Youth mental health has been characterized as the public health issue of our time. Ohana exemplifies the power of philanthropy, partnerships, and medical excellence and innovation to help our youth and their families turn hurt into hope. Ohana and Monterey County represent a national model we hope others can learn from and replicate, as we connect with schools, other health care providers, and community partners to address this vital need.”
Named after the Hawaiian word for “family,” the Ohana campus broke ground in 2020 thanks to one of the largest private investments ever made to address youth mental health. Mrs. Elliott’s landmark gift reflected her desire to “do something to benefit the community at large,” and her only request was that the project be named Ohana to convey the importance of family — immediate, extended, and chosen — in helping youth to engage in treatment when they need it and to develop mental health so they might live their happiest and healthiest lives.
The Ohana approach is built on a breakthrough idea: mental illness is always treatable and can often be prevented, and mental fitness — like physical fitness — can be developed and sustained. “Hope is the foundation of Ohana’s work,” says Swick. “Hope is what sustains young people on their journey to build mental health and resilience, and it is what inspires communities to support mental health initiatives. Ohana is ‘Where Hope Grows.’”
In contrast to conventional mental health facilities, the campus’ innovative design prioritizes curiosity, connection and comfort alongside safety. Award-winning architects NBBJ worked with Montage Health leadership and mental health experts to create an indoor-outdoor environment that provides both engagement and respite for patients, families, and staff. Features include an outdoor amphitheater for classes and music, gardens with immune-boosting plants, and courtyards, terraces, and patios that encourage both group connection and private reflection. The campus also features thoughtfully curated artwork to support emotional processing and self-empowerment, and enhance the patient and family experience. For more information on Ohana, visit montagehealth.org/ohana.
Pre- and day-of-celebration interviews and tours are available. Media are invited to attend the September 27 celebration and tours. Please note that the event is by invitation only.
Event details
RSVP: www.montagehealth.org/ribbon
Ohana campus
6 Lower Ragsdale Drive, Monterey
10 a.m. program, followed by a tour of the campus
ABOUT MONTAGE HEALTH
Montage Health is the local, independent, nonprofit parent company of a family of organizations dedicated to improving lives by delivering exceptional healthcare and inspiring the pursuit of optimal health for communities on the Monterey Peninsula and across Monterey County. Montage Health is dedicated to providing coordinated care across all settings to meet each person’s goals and needs. Montage Health organizations include Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Montage Medical Group, Montage Health Foundation, Montage Wellness Center, Aspire Health, and MoGo Urgent Care.
