On April 16, the Center for Behavioral Health and Learning on the UWMC-Northwest campus opened the doors to the new Garvey Institute Center for Neuromodulation and a new campus cafeteria, both located on the first floor of the building. The opening marked the beginning of a new era for behavioral healthcare at UW Medicine and for more than one million residents in our state with a mental health diagnosis. The building will open in stages, with the Geropsychiatry Unit opening in June followed by the medical/surgical units and the inpatient psychiatry units for individuals on long-term civil commitment status later this summer.

The Garvey Institute Center for Neuromodulation will offer electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to both inpatients and outpatients. Patients can be referred or self-refer using the “Request an appointment” button on the Center for Neuromodulation website. The referral button is also a good way for providers to get a call-back if they have questions about a particular form of neuromodulation treatment, indications for treatment, insurance coverage, etc. Randall Espinoza, MD, MPH, who recently joined us from UCLA will provide overall medical leadership for the new Center and care for patients along with faculty colleagues, Stephen Thielke, MD, MS, MA, and Brandon Thomas, MD, PhD, and an outstanding team of nurses, technicians and anesthesiologists.