FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Doug Carlson, FSU College of Medicine
(850) 694-3735; doug.carlson@med.fsu.edu
Adam Roberts, Apalachee Center
(850) 523-3201; adamr32@apalacheecenter.org
July 8, 2020
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State University and Apalachee Center opened a new medical clinic today that will provide assessment and evidence-based treatment for mood and anxiety disorders.
FSU BehavioralHealth at Apalachee Center is the clinical arm of the FSU Mood and Anxiety Center of Excellence — a member of the National Network of Depression Centers.
“We are one of 27 national centers of excellence, which gives us access to, and the ability to participate in, cutting-edge science to advance our understanding of behavioral health and to ensure we are providing best-practice treatment for individuals and families in this community,” said Heather Flynn, College of Medicine professor and director of the FSU Center for Behavioral Health Integration.
FSU BehavioralHealth at Apalachee Center will be staffed by faculty from the FSU colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Social Work as well as the FSU Department of Psychology and administered by Apalachee Center.
“Apalachee Center is excited and proud to partner with FSU in launching an outpatient behavioral health clinic that will set a new standard for clinical and research excellence for this community and the state of Florida,” said Jay Reeve, president and CEO of Apalachee Center.
“We have developed a variety of partnerships with FSU over the years, and they are excellent behavioral health teammates, but this is by far the most groundbreaking, game-changing and forward-thinking example of our collaboration to date,” he said.
The new center is accepting patient appointments at med.fsu.edu/bhac. The center accepts most private insurance, as well as Medicaid, Medicare and individuals with no health insurance.
“A center of excellence where there’s academic input and research that’s right there at the elbow of the clinicians — to me, it’s just a no-brainer,” said Nancy O’Farrell, executive director of Tallahassee’s affiliate with the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “We’re truly blessed as a community to have these remarkable services available and to have some really forward-thinking community leaders.”
“The fact that it’s going to be housed at Whole Child Leon, where the Pediatric Behavioral Health Network lives, is perfect because it will serve patients from the age of 6 on up,” she said. “The focus — at least in the beginning — is on anxiety, depression and mood disorders, and with this pandemic we certainly need it. We need more services during troubled times and we certainly have troubled times today.”
Patients also will have the option for telehealth appointments.
“One of the exciting parts of the new clinic is that we will be able to facilitate translational research across one of the top research institutions in the country at Florida State, and we will contribute to a national mood-disorders database designed to expand what we know about behavioral health while innovating personalized treatment plans,” said College of Medicine Dean John P. Fogarty.
“Being a part of this national network far exceeds what any individual university or behavioral health center could do on its own in developing best practices for helping individuals and families struggling with the challenges of behavioral health disorders,” he added.