Strategy Catalyst's 2026 Service Line Portfolio Strategy Survey found that behavioral health is least likely of any service line surveyed to see growth investment, with only 21% of systems expanding the line. Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC) is a counterexample, actively expanding access and delivering care in new ways to meet the needs of more patients.
Case Study Snapshot
Footprint: Nationally recognized academic health system in central Ohio; 6 hospitals totaling 1,439 beds; over 61,000 admissions annually; 3M+ outpatient visits; a 2.2M-person metro growing twice as fast as the national average; a newly opened $1.9B inpatient tower with 820 beds, and the region’s only comprehensive cancer center and dedicated cancer hospital.
Challenge: In OSUWMC's market, the two other adult health systems entered private-sector partnerships for their behavioral health units, leaving OSUWMC as the only independent, non-profit inpatient adult behavioral healthcare provider.
Approach: OSUWMC treats behavioral health as integral to whole-person care and to its academic and community mission and is actively strengthening its commitment through coordinated care across levels of acuity, using collaborative care models and site-of-service optimization to grow sustainability.