OMAHA — A nonprofit group has begun planning an estimated $50 million inpatient behavioral health facility for children on the campus of Immanuel Medical Center in north-central Omaha.
The center will be operated by CHI Health.
Omaha philanthropist Ken Stinson said the facility will have 36 to 40 beds and serve children ages 5 to 18 who are experiencing mental health challenges. That’s double the 18 beds for children and adolescents currently available at Immanuel.
Stinson, former Kiewit Corporation chairman and CEO, said he took the lead on the project about nine months ago, based on his interest in mental health care. He has formed a nonprofit group to plan, design and raise money for the facility.
The notion of building a new mental health center for adolescents has been in the works for four or five years, he said. But the need recently has become clearer.
There is a general consensus that the increase in mental health problems among young people has been going on for a decade or more, Stinson said. Some see social media as a main contributor to the problem, and experts agree the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated it.
“I think it’s an important issue,†Stinson said, “and it’s become more important with the ramifications of the pandemic.â€
Indeed, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory in December to highlight the urgent need to address the nation’s mental health crisis among youths.
In early 2021, emergency room visits in the U.S. for suspected suicide attempts were 51% higher for adolescent girls and 4% higher for adolescent boys compared to the same period in 2019, according to research cited in the advisory. From 2009 to 2019, the proportion of high school students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness increased by 40%, and the share seriously considering attempting suicide increased by 36%.
Stinson and Rhonda Hawks, another Omaha philanthropist and mental health advocate, led a previous campaign that in 2008 led to the opening of the 64-bed Lasting Hope Recovery Center, an inpatient adult treatment center near downtown.
Lasting Hope Recovery Center also is operated by CHI Health, which is the largest provider of inpatient mental health care in Nebraska.
The group is staying on brand with the new facility, which will be called the Lasting Hope Center for Children and Families.
Stinson said he put together a team of health care professionals, business leaders and educators to develop the plan for the facility. The group hired HDR Inc. to conduct a study on the demand for beds. It also has completed a study of the mental health care workforce in Region 6 Behavioral Healthcare, which covers Douglas, Sarpy, Cass, Dodge and Washington counties.
In addition, the group is working with educators at Metropolitan Community College, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Creighton University, Bellevue University and Iowa Western Community College, who are focusing on ways to expand their output of mental health care workers.
Stinson said it is still early, but the collaborators are becoming comfortable that they will be able to staff the new facility when it opens, likely in a couple of years.
Meanwhile, the group has hired Kiewit to serve as contractor and HDR to design the facility. A portion of the estimated $50 million cost will be covered by a share of the $40 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds designated for mental health projects in the state. The Legislature last week approved LB1014, which lays out how the state’s share of those federal dollars are to be spent.
Stinson said the group has other “preliminary commitments†from other potential funders. Fundraising will begin in the next several months.
The group also is looking at state-of-the-art facility design and best practices, working with a group from Boston led by Dr. David Rubin, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training Program.
Robin Conyers, CHI Health’s vice president of behavioral health services, said the current pediatric psychiatric unit at Immanuel was set up on a medical-surgical floor. It has no access to the outdoors.
Children and families currently come through the hospital’s emergency room to get to the unit, which isn’t necessarily an ideal experience for kids and families in crisis.
The new facility will have a pediatric assessment center, where kids can be seen and stabilized and either admitted or referred for other care. The facility also will consolidate all of the campus’ child services, Conyers said, creating a one-stop shop for families and providing a full continuum of training opportunities for Creighton University child psychiatry residents and fellows.
Conyers said the new facility will have all private rooms. The existing unit has semiprivate rooms. That can create capacity challenges, given the need to avoid mixing patients of different genders and ages.
“We know that we’ve had these services in our organization for 100 years,†Conyers said, “but what we’re currently doing is not enough, and the pandemic has exacerbated that for us. … We’re honored to have the opportunity to provide this to our community.â€
Fastest-growing counties in Nebraska
Fastest-growing counties in Nebraska
From 2019 to 2020, the , its slowest rate since 1900. Declining births, increasing deaths largely due to the graying Baby Boomer population, and a crackdown on immigration have contributed to many states seeing net population losses in recent years.
But in other pockets of the country, populations are growing. These shifts can be due to job opportunities, high quality of life, easy commutability to job centers, low rents, or any combination of these or other factors. compiled a list of the fastest-growing counties in Nebraska using data from the . Counties are ranked by the highest population growth from 2010 to 2020.
A county typically sees population growth as a “bedroom community†(a municipality with an atypically large commuting population) to a large city. These communities are typically quieter than their feeder cities, offer lower rents and a higher quality of living, and are remote enough to be immune to the feeder city’s crime, traffic, and crowds. Keep reading to see if your home county made the list.
JonClee86 // Wikicommons
#50. Polk County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -198
--- #1,812 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -3.7%
--- #44 among counties in Nebraska, #2,117 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 5,214
--- #40 largest county in Nebraska, #2,809 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#49. Garden County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -186
--- #1,796 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -9.0%
--- #72 among counties in Nebraska, #2,776 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 1,874
--- #19 largest county in Nebraska, #3,051 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#48. Sherman County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -185
--- #1,790 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -5.9%
--- #57 among counties in Nebraska, #2,441 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 2,959
--- #28 largest county in Nebraska, #2,961 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#47. Nemaha County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -175
--- #1,781 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -2.4%
--- #37 among counties in Nebraska, #1,933 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 7,074
--- #53 largest county in Nebraska, #2,652 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#46. Boone County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -174
--- #1,779 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -3.1%
--- #40 among counties in Nebraska, #2,037 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 5,379
--- #42 largest county in Nebraska, #2,790 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#45. Hayes County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -169
--- #1,773 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -16.5%
--- #90 among counties in Nebraska, #3,062 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 856
--- #12 largest county in Nebraska, #3,111 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#44. Gosper County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -165
--- #1,769 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -8.0%
--- #70 among counties in Nebraska, #2,698 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 1,893
--- #20 largest county in Nebraska, #3,048 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#42. Dawson County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -134
--- #1,734 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -0.6%
--- #32 among counties in Nebraska, #1,654 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 24,111
--- #81 largest county in Nebraska, #1,639 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#42. Thurston County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -134
--- #1,734 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -1.9%
--- #36 among counties in Nebraska, #1,865 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 6,773
--- #52 largest county in Nebraska, #2,676 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#40. Deuel County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -125
--- #1,714 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -6.4%
--- #61 among counties in Nebraska, #2,522 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 1,838
--- #18 largest county in Nebraska, #3,056 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#40. Perkins County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -125
--- #1,714 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -4.2%
--- #48 among counties in Nebraska, #2,188 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 2,858
--- #25 largest county in Nebraska, #2,970 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#39. Merrick County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -116
--- #1,702 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -1.5%
--- #35 among counties in Nebraska, #1,786 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 7,668
--- #56 largest county in Nebraska, #2,602 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#38. Blaine County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -108
--- #1,689 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -20.0%
--- #92 among counties in Nebraska, #3,109 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 431
--- #2 largest county in Nebraska, #3,137 largest county nationwide
Jimmy Emerson, DVM // Flickr
#37. McPherson County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -90
--- #1,672 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -18.4%
--- #91 among counties in Nebraska, #3,095 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 399
--- #1 largest county in Nebraska, #3,138 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#36. Thomas County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -87
--- #1,667 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -11.5%
--- #84 among counties in Nebraska, #2,924 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 669
--- #6 largest county in Nebraska, #3,128 largest county nationwide
marekuliasz // Shutterstock
#35. Grant County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -50
--- #1,624 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -7.6%
--- #69 among counties in Nebraska, #2,657 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 611
--- #5 largest county in Nebraska, #3,132 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#34. Banner County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -46
--- #1,619 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -6.4%
--- #62 among counties in Nebraska, #2,525 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 674
--- #7 largest county in Nebraska, #3,127 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#33. Chase County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -34
--- #1,606 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -0.9%
--- #33 among counties in Nebraska, #1,700 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 3,893
--- #33 largest county in Nebraska, #2,898 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#32. Loup County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -28
--- #1,599 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -4.4%
--- #51 among counties in Nebraska, #2,213 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 607
--- #4 largest county in Nebraska, #3,133 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#31. Keith County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -21
--- #1,594 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -0.3%
--- #31 among counties in Nebraska, #1,607 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 8,335
--- #59 largest county in Nebraska, #2,552 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#30. Butler County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: -13
--- #1,580 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -0.2%
--- #30 among counties in Nebraska, #1,587 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 8,369
--- #60 largest county in Nebraska, #2,547 largest county nationwide
Ali Eminov // Flickr
#29. Arthur County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 8
--- #1,551 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +1.9%
--- #21 among counties in Nebraska, #1,307 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 434
--- #3 largest county in Nebraska, #3,136 largest county nationwide
Jimmy Emerson, DVM // Flickr
#28. Pierce County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 9
--- #1,550 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +0.1%
--- #29 among counties in Nebraska, #1,546 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 7,317
--- #55 largest county in Nebraska, #2,638 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#27. Hooker County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 21
--- #1,540 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +3.0%
--- #16 among counties in Nebraska, #1,150 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 711
--- #8 largest county in Nebraska, #3,124 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#26. Wheeler County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 23
--- #1,536 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +3.1%
--- #15 among counties in Nebraska, #1,149 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 774
--- #11 largest county in Nebraska, #3,117 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#25. Keya Paha County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 29
--- #1,527 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +3.9%
--- #12 among counties in Nebraska, #1,042 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 769
--- #10 largest county in Nebraska, #3,118 largest county nationwide
Coemgenus // Wikimedia Commons
#24. Logan County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 34
--- #1,523 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +5.0%
--- #10 among counties in Nebraska, #937 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 716
--- #9 largest county in Nebraska, #3,123 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#22. Adams County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 79
--- #1,480 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +0.3%
--- #28 among counties in Nebraska, #1,532 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 31,205
--- #83 largest county in Nebraska, #1,391 largest county nationwide
Pixabay
#22. Johnson County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 79
--- #1,480 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +1.5%
--- #23 among counties in Nebraska, #1,349 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 5,290
--- #41 largest county in Nebraska, #2,798 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#21. Wayne County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 124
--- #1,451 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +1.3%
--- #26 among counties in Nebraska, #1,394 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 9,697
--- #67 largest county in Nebraska, #2,437 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#20. Kearney County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 136
--- #1,439 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +2.1%
--- #20 among counties in Nebraska, #1,282 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 6,688
--- #50 largest county in Nebraska, #2,685 largest county nationwide
Jared Winkler // Wikimedia Commons
#19. Otoe County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 171
--- #1,419 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +1.1%
--- #27 among counties in Nebraska, #1,417 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 15,912
--- #75 largest county in Nebraska, #2,035 largest county nationwide
Workman // Wikimedia Commons
#18. Howard County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 173
--- #1,416 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +2.7%
--- #18 among counties in Nebraska, #1,189 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 6,475
--- #49 largest county in Nebraska, #2,701 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#17. Saline County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 194
--- #1,405 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +1.4%
--- #25 among counties in Nebraska, #1,382 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 14,292
--- #74 largest county in Nebraska, #2,128 largest county nationwide
Jan Uruba // Wikimedia Commons
#16. York County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 239
--- #1,375 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +1.7%
--- #22 among counties in Nebraska, #1,327 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 14,125
--- #73 largest county in Nebraska, #2,143 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#15. Hamilton County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 269
--- #1,345 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +2.9%
--- #17 among counties in Nebraska, #1,162 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 9,429
--- #65 largest county in Nebraska, #2,458 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#14. Colfax County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 381
--- #1,288 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +3.7%
--- #13 among counties in Nebraska, #1,065 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 10,582
--- #70 largest county in Nebraska, #2,371 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#13. Dodge County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 546
--- #1,212 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +1.5%
--- #24 among counties in Nebraska, #1,359 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 37,167
--- #88 largest county in Nebraska, #1,244 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#12. Washington County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 717
--- #1,154 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +3.6%
--- #14 among counties in Nebraska, #1,084 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 20,865
--- #77 largest county in Nebraska, #1,768 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#11. Madison County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 865
--- #1,114 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +2.5%
--- #19 among counties in Nebraska, #1,219 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 35,585
--- #86 largest county in Nebraska, #1,292 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#10. Dakota County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 908
--- #1,102 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +4.4%
--- #11 among counties in Nebraska, #990 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 21,582
--- #78 largest county in Nebraska, #1,733 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#9. Seward County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 981
--- #1,086 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +5.9%
--- #8 among counties in Nebraska, #851 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 17,609
--- #76 largest county in Nebraska, #1,938 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#8. Cass County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 1,352
--- #1,002 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +5.4%
--- #9 among counties in Nebraska, #899 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 26,598
--- #82 largest county in Nebraska, #1,545 largest county nationwide
David Wilson // Flickr
#7. Saunders County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 1,735
--- #940 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +8.4%
--- #6 among counties in Nebraska, #655 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 22,278
--- #80 largest county in Nebraska, #1,702 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#6. Platte County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 2,621
--- #807 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +8.3%
--- #7 among counties in Nebraska, #672 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 34,296
--- #84 largest county in Nebraska, #1,319 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#5. Buffalo County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 4,647
--- #648 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +10.2%
--- #5 among counties in Nebraska, #545 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 50,084
--- #89 largest county in Nebraska, #991 largest county nationwide
Jasperdo // Flickr
#4. Hall County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 5,996
--- #586 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +10.5%
--- #4 among counties in Nebraska, #527 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 62,895
--- #90 largest county in Nebraska, #847 largest county nationwide
Brad Mellema // Wikimedia Commons
#3. Sarpy County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 38,424
--- #195 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +25.2%
--- #1 among counties in Nebraska, #111 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 190,604
--- #91 largest county in Nebraska, #353 largest county nationwide
Jared Winkler // Wikimedia Commons
#2. Lancaster County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 43,180
--- #177 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +15.5%
--- #3 among counties in Nebraska, #295 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 322,608
--- #92 largest county in Nebraska, #222 largest county nationwide
Katherine Welles // Shutterstock
#1. Douglas County
- 2010 to 2020 population change: 78,981
--- #94 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +15.6%
--- #2 among counties in Nebraska, #289 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 584,526
--- #93 largest county in Nebraska, #117 largest county nationwide
JonClee86 // Wikicommons
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