Inova Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia, is set to open an EmPATH (Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment, and Healing) behavioral health unit, according to insidenova.com.

The new unit is part of the hospital’s $161 million emergency department (ED) expansion.

The EmPATH unit is based on an evidence-driven model that reduces hospitalizations, minimizes ED wait times, and enhances the overall quality and safety of mental health care.

Key features of the unit will include a therapeutic, low-stimulus environment designed to reduce anxiety and promote healing; an open calming interior with group therapy spaces and therapeutic interventions; reduced security presence to foster a safe, non-confining atmosphere; and rapid assessment, stabilization, and discharge planning.

Expected to be completed in 2028, the ED expansion will also include a redesigned children’s ED with its own reception area, 12 additional adult ED rooms and nine rooms for behavioral health patients, an expanded intake area, and new ambulance arrival zone.

Read more news about EmPATH units here.