By Clayton Warren, Vitals contributor
An East Bay hospital has earned a major recognition for mental health care and now sits among a select group of behavioral health programs nationwide.
Sutter’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center’s adult mental health units at Herrick Campus were officially designated as an Evernorth Behavioral Health Center of Excellence. The national honor is awarded to facilities that meet Evernorth’s rigorous, data driven benchmarks for clinical quality, cost efficient care and a deep commitment to patient well-being.
Raynard Ware
“This designation reflects the team’s dedication to providing safe, high-quality care in a fiscally responsible manner,” shared Raynard Ware, service line executive for inpatient behavioral health. “Only about 32% of eligible facilities nationwide received this recognition. Our clinicians, nurses and support teams should feel incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together.”
Alta Bates Summit earned high marks across Evernorth’s quality measures — including follow up care, readmission prevention and care continuity — demonstrating excellence at every stage of the healing journey. These impressive results reflect strong metrics combined with a culture grounded in compassion, collaboration and unwavering patient-centered focus.
Kevin Zeng
“Achieving Center of Excellence status reflects exceptional clinical quality and a deep commitment to the people we serve,” says Kevin Zeng, Alta Bates Summit’s chief nurse executive. “Our behavioral health team shows every day what it means to meet the community with dignity, compassion and unwavering support.”
Offering Comprehensive Care for All Ages
Alta Bates Summit’s Behavioral Health program offers a robust blend of inpatient and outpatient services that reflect the growing need for mental health care — a need that touches nearly one in five adults in the United States. An important program differentiator is its dedication to offering tailored care across all stages of life. Whether it’s a teenager grappling with anxiety or an adult struggling with depression, Alta Bates Summit provides programs that cater to different ages and needs.
Dr. Ursula Boynton
“Mental health is essential to the overall health of our community, and this recognition affirms the expertise and empathy our teams bring forward every day,” said Dr. Ursula Boynton, Alta Bates Summit’s chief medical executive. “This vision is taking shape through Sutter Health’s Ambulatory Expansion Plan for Behavioral Health, which leverages technology and team-based care to improve early screening and ongoing management.
Compassion at the Core
The Alta Bates Summit Behavioral Health program provides care across a robust continuum, serving adults and seniors with a wide range of mental health needs. The 65-bed inpatient unit delivers:
• Tailored treatment plans for adults and older adults
• Specialized dual-diagnosis care for substance use and mental health
• Advanced therapeutic modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy
• Holistic recovery programs, from medical detox to partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient services At every level, team members strive to meet patients where they are — with dignity, respect, and evidence-based care that promotes long term healing.
Merritt Peralta Institute Addiction Care Services
Merritt Peralta Institute, part of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, plays a key role in Alta Bates Summit’s behavioral health continuum by providing medically supervised substance use disorder care for adults across the region. A CARF-accredited recovery hospital located at the Summit Campus in Oakland, MPI offers detoxification and residential treatment supported by 24-hour nursing care and integrated mental health services. This coordinated, medical model reinforces substance use disorder as a treatable condition and supports continuity of care for patients with complex behavioral health needs.
Timothy Jones
“Alta Bates Summit’s Center of Excellence designation reflects the strength of a truly integrated behavioral health continuum, including the specialized addiction care provided through Merritt Peralta Institute,” said Timothy Jones, senior director of mental health services. “At MPI, we treat substance use disorder as a medical condition and work closely with our behavioral health and medical partners to deliver coordinated, compassionate care that supports long-term recovery and continuity for patients.”
Part of a Systemwide Momentum
This recognition aligns with Sutter Health’s broader behavioral health strategy to improve access, expand services and integrate mental health across the system.
With more than 90,000 behavioral health referrals each year, Sutter is investing in:
• New and expanded inpatient programs
• Outpatient clinics and crisis stabilization resources, like the new EmPATH unit at Sutter Coast
• Growing substance use disorder services • Embedding behavioral health specialists directly into primary care
• Workforce development and clinician well-being initiatives
Looking Ahead
Leaders say the Center of Excellence designation is a testament to the dedication and heart behind Alta Bates Summit’s Behavioral Health program. It affirms the work these teams do every day and strengthens the resolve to continue expanding access, improving outcomes and supporting the well-being of East Bay residents.
“As the conversation around mental health continues to evolve, so too will the services and support offered by pioneers like those at Alta Bates Summit,” adds Ware.