Valhalla, N.Y. (July, 2025) – Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) is among a select group of institutions leading the charge to improve mental wellness through compassionate care, innovation, and community-focused services. Now, WMCHealth’s comprehensive psychiatric and behavioral health programs have been recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as among the top programs in the nation.
This recognition highlights WMCHealth’s commitment to providing exceptional mental illness and substance use related healthcare services to the communities it serves.
“As a top resource for healthcare decision-makers, Becker’s Hospital Review takes pride in recognizing organizations that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to improving mental and behavioral health outcomes. WMCHealth’s featured programs are applauded for their thoughtfully designed services, which are dedicated to enhancing quality of life, delivering comprehensive emotional and psychiatric support, and spearheading research and innovation in the field,’’ said Becker’s in its announcement.
David Lubarsky, MD, MBA, President and CEO of WMCHealth, said the recognition underscored the important work WMCHealth is doing to address mental health needs in our communities.
“Anxiety, depression, addiction, and stress-related illness are degrading the quality of life for families in the Hudson Valley,’’ said Dr. Lubarsky. “At WMCHealth, we recognize that mental and physical health are one and that we need to provide compassionate care and remove the stigma of mental health so more people can seek the help they need to thrive.’’
Located on the campus of Westchester Medical Center, the Behavioral Health Center offers a full spectrum of inpatient, outpatient, community and emergency care for individuals and families. World-renowned medical services provided by Westchester Medical Center, combined with strong clinical leadership from the Department of Psychiatry at New York Medical College, keep the Behavioral Health Center at the forefront of meeting the mental health needs of the region.
In December of 2024, WMCHealth reopened its inpatient behavioral health unit at HealthAlliance Hospital. The unit has been rebuilt and is now part of the renovated HealthAlliance Hospital, restoring 20 inpatient behavioral health beds and providing a critical resource for behavioral health care in Kingston and Ulster County. At MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, WMCHealth continues to invest in behavioral health services by renovating the existing unit and adding five inpatient in-patient psychiatric beds to the already existing 55 beds. And outpatient drug and alcohol treatment programs at these two hospitals continue to grow, both increased enrollment by 30% in 2024.
Recent data from May 2025 indicates that approximately 14% of adult New Yorkers (around 945,000 individuals) reported an unmet need for mental health treatment in the past year. Annually, more than one in five New Yorkers exhibit symptoms of a mental disorder, with one in ten adults and children experiencing mental health challenges severe enough to disrupt their daily functioning in work, family, or school environments, according to a 2024 report by the New York State Department of Health.