The John S. Dunn Foundation made a transformative $25 million commitment to The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (“UTHealth”) to bolster the university’s behavioral health initiatives and address significant gaps in mental health care services in our communities.
In honor of the Dunn Foundation’s gift, UTHealth established the John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center to support innovative behavioral health research, education, and patient care.  The 253,000 square-foot facility, which includes 264 new inpatient beds, was funded by the 85th Texas Legislative Session in 2017. The first years of the hospital’s operational funding were approved by the 87th Legislature in 2021.  The new academic psychiatric hospital and the nearby UTHealth Houston Harris County Psychiatric Center combine to create the UTHealth Houston Behavioral Sciences Campus and the largest academic psychiatric hospital in the country with 538 beds.
“We are truly grateful to our state leaders and legislators, our partners at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and the Dunn Foundation for their shared vision and transformative investment in behavioral health,” said UTHealth Houston President, Giuseppe Colasurdo, M.D.  “This center is an integral part of our collaborative, comprehensive effort to ensure that everyone in our community has access to the very best in mental health services.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), 1 out of every 5 Americans has a mental illness, and the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that only half of people with mental illnesses receive treatment. Furthermore, cases are on the rise due to some of the necessary health and safety measures taken to stop the spread of COVID-19.  A recent CDC report revealed more than 40% of adults reported suffering at least one adverse mental or behavioral health condition during the pandemic.
To increase access to critical mental health services, a team of multidisciplinary specialists from UTHealth will deliver innovative treatment at the new hospital through a contract with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (“HHSC”).
The $126.5 million hospital was created with funding awarded to HHSC by the 2017 Legislative Budget Board and Gov. Greg Abbott as part of a statewide initiative to improve behavioral health across Texas. Patient admissions are expected to begin in March 2022.  The new facility builds upon UTHealth’s existing outpatient clinics and programs, which span discovery science to clinical research, and serves as the next step in the department’s mission to provide a full continuum of care to community members.
“With the depth and breadth of expertise, we are well-positioned to lead behavioral health care in Houston and across the state,” said Jair Soares, MD, PhD, the Pat R. Rutherford, Jr. Chair in Psychiatry in the Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “Our patient-centered programs are designed to break down barriers and provide a continuum of care to help individuals and their families overcome behavioral disorders.”
Since 1986, the Dunn Foundation has supported UTHealth’s efforts to improve the physical and mental health of our communities, including investments that have bolstered research on bipolar disorder and treatment-resistant bipolar depression.
“Mental illness has a significant impact on the physical health and well-being of individuals and families, and it reverberates across our community,” said Charles M. Lusk, III, President, John S. Dunn Foundation.  “Our continued partnership with UTHealth will carry on John S. Dunn’s legacy and support a cause that was important to him while improving the lives of countless individuals long into the future.  Mental health care, much like any other health care, can result in cures, and we are particularly invested in working with UTHealth to that end.”
The Dunn Foundation’s gift will (1) establish the John S. Dunn Foundation Education Fund to enhance the academic environment for their for their fellows, residents, and students; (2) establish the John S. Dunn Lectureship to bring experts to UTHealth for scientific discussion; (3) establish the John S. Dunn Foundation Research Fund to advance discoveries in the underpinnings and treatment of behavioral disorders; and (4) will create a total of 11 faculty endowments at various levels to recruit and retain outstanding talent to the university and the Greater Houston area.
The commitment is part of the university’s first comprehensive campaign, Many Faces. One Mission.  The campaign, representing the largest philanthropic effort in UTHealth’s history, aims to raise $500 million to address pressing health challenges such as advancing brain and behavioral health and to secure the institution’s future as a top health science center.  Since the campaign’s quiet phase began in 2015, the university’s closest friends have given more than $400 million toward this goal.
“With this gift from the Dunn Foundation, UTHealth can dramatically improve the lives of people suffering from behavioral disorders for decades to come,” said Dr. Jair Soares.