LLUMC - Loma Linda University Medical Center
09/16/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/16/2026 17:16
LLUH celebrates opening of EmPATH Unit for behavioral health needs
Loma Linda University Health held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday, September 15, for a new EmPATH (Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment, and Healing) Unit - a move that marks a milestone in bolstering LLUH's mission of addressing the behavioral health needs of the community.
The EmPATH Unit is a dedicated space that will allow patients to be quickly moved from the high-stress environment of the Emergency Department to a calm location where they will be assessed for the appropriate level of care.
The unit is located in the Hinshaw Towers, formerly the Loma Linda University Medical Center Emergency Department, and is made up of 24 treatment spaces - 12 pediatric and 12 adult - that are designed to provide compassionate, timely care for children and adults experiencing a mental health crisis.
"As a health system, we have a responsibility to respond with innovative solutions that improve access, quality, and outcomes for the people we serve," said Lyndon Edwards, MBA, MHS, executive vice president for hospital affairs and chief operating officer for LLUH hospitals. "The EmPATH Unit reflects that commitment."
Edward Field, MBA, vice president for Loma Linda Behavioral Medicine Center, said the new space represents a continued commitment to providing whole-person care during some of life's most difficult moments.
"For 35 years, our hospital has been committed to meeting the behavioral health needs of our community. Today, the EmPATH Unit represents another important step in that growth and in the evolution of behavioral healthcare at Loma Linda University Health," Field said.
In 2023, LLU Behavioral Health was awarded $6 million in grants from California's Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission to support emergency services in hospital emergency departments. Loma Linda University Medical Center was one of four adult institutions awarded contracts, while the Children's Hospital was the only pediatric center selected.
The EmPATH unit is expected to be fully operational in 2027.
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