Council Bluffs Behavioral Health Hospital Receives Approval From State of Iowa

The state of Iowa approved a certificate of need (CON) today for a planned 96-bed behavioral health hospital in Council Bluffs – an important next step for the joint venture partnership between Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital and Acadia Healthcare.

The CON hearing took place before the State Health Facilities Council, a five-member committee that is appointed by the governor and responsible for ensuring that growth and changes in the state’s health care system are orderly, cost-effective, adequate and efficient.

Representatives from Jennie Edmundson and Acadia presented project details and a significant number of letters of support at the hearing.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to have received approval from the state of Iowa for this project,” said David Burd, president and CEO of Jennie Edmundson. “Our presentation was thorough and clearly demonstrated the need and desire to expand behavioral health services in the region. We’re very grateful to the many individuals and organizations in the Council Bluffs community and beyond who submitted letters of support for the project.”

Another important component in the hospital planning process occurred on Nov. 13 when the Council Bluffs City Council approved rezoning the site of the future hospital. The purchase of the land is in progress, and the location will be announced accordingly.

A rendering of the planned behavioral health hospital in Council Bluffs

In July, Jennie Edmundson and Acadia Healthcare announced plans to build a state-of-the-art behavioral health hospital in Council Bluffs. The 96-bed hospital will include 24 inpatient beds dedicated to serving the mental health needs of children and adolescents, as well as provide intensive outpatient services. This new hospital will be a center of excellence, addressing the growing unmet need for accessible, high-quality behavioral health services in the region.

Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital is an affiliate of Omaha-based Methodist Health System. 

The new behavioral health hospital is expected to open in 2026. It will be operated through a joint venture partnership between Jennie Edmundson and Acadia, the largest standalone provider of behavioral health care services in the U.S. Together, the organizations will invest more than $55 million in expanding behavioral health resources in the region.

A groundbreaking ceremony is being planned and will be announced at a later date.

To learn more about the partnership between Jennie Edmundson and Acadia Healthcare, visit Bluffsbehavioralhealth.com.