AltaPointe Health Celebrates $15 Million BayPointe Hospital Expansion

New 34-bed expansion increases access to inpatient psychiatric care.

MOBILE, Ala., Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AltaPointe Health celebrated the completion of a $15 million expansion at BayPointe Hospital on Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking a significant investment in behavioral health care for Mobile County and the surrounding region.

The expansion adds 34 adult psychiatric beds to BayPointe Hospital, increasing the hospital's capacity from 104 to 138 beds and expanding access to inpatient psychiatric care for adults in Mobile County.

The Mobile County Commission provided $6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding toward the $15 million project.

Mobile County Commission President Connie Hudson and Commissioner Merceria Ludgood joined state lawmakers, AltaPointe Health board members, leadership and community members to officially cut the ribbon on the new expansion.

"This expansion represents much more than additional beds. It represents greater access to care for people in our community when they need it most," said Tuerk Schlesinger, chief executive officer of AltaPointe Health. "We are incredibly grateful to the Mobile County Commission for recognizing the need for additional psychiatric resources and investing in this project. Their partnership has allowed us to strengthen the behavioral health care system in Mobile County and ensure more individuals and families can receive appropriate care close to home."

Mobile County Commission President Connie Hudson said the expansion addresses a longstanding need for additional adult psychiatric services in Mobile County.

"When we first embarked on this, there was really no facility in Mobile County that could serve the needs of the adult population," Hudson said. "You had juveniles, you had geriatric services, but not for the regular adult population, so we're in the process of remedying that."

BayPointe Hospital has historically focused on providing inpatient psychiatric treatment for children and adolescents. In 2025, the hospital began serving a limited number of adult patients in Mobile, converting 24 existing children's beds for adult use. The new expansion provides additional capacity to serve children, adolescents, and adults who need inpatient psychiatric care.

The project also includes additional classroom space for students receiving treatment at BayPointe and supports individuals referred for psychiatric evaluation and treatment through local probate courts.

BayPointe Hospital is one of AltaPointe Health's two freestanding psychiatric hospitals. EastPointe Hospital is in Daphne. Together, the hospitals are part of AltaPointe's comprehensive continuum of care, which also includes a 24-hour behavioral health crisis center, community behavioral health clinics and integrated primary care services.

AltaPointe Health delivers integrated behavioral and primary health care, providing more than 1.9 million services annually to about 45,000 patients across seven Alabama counties. Its physicians also serve as faculty and administrators for the University of South Alabama Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry.

About AltaPointe Health

AltaPointe Health is a comprehensive behavioral and primary health care system serving communities throughout Alabama. Its continuum of care includes psychiatric hospitals, crisis services, outpatient behavioral health care, substance use treatment, residential services and integrated primary health care. AltaPointe Health is committed to providing accessible, high-quality care to individuals and families throughout the communities it serves.

SOURCE AltaPointe Health Systems