With the summer 2022 opening of the UCSF Nancy Friend Pritzker Psychiatry Building, UCSF demonstrated its commitment to breaking down the barrier separating mental and physical health care.
In both medical care and research facilities, psychiatry has historically been set apart from other specialties related to brain health, such as neurology. And although mental health conditions are common, the stigma associated with seeking care for them persists, along with less funding for research and lagging investment in outpatient facilities compared with other specialties.
The Pritzker Building broke new ground in several ways. Modern, airy and bright, it's one of the first facilities in the nation to embed mental health services in a general health care system. The building houses mental health services for patients of all ages alongside pediatric primary care; renowned training programs in psychiatry and psychology; and state-of-the-art research space, where experts from many disciplines collaborate.
The building's features include:
- A sleep clinic with space for overnight sleep studies
- A dedicated kitchen and treatment space for patients with eating disorders
- A five-story atrium at the heart of the building, providing abundant natural light and making it easier for patients to find their way
- A rooftop garden
- Valet parking
- A café
- A separate entrance and separate care areas for pediatric patients
Appointments at the Pritzker Building are outpatient only. Adult psychiatric patients who require hospitalization receive care elsewhere.
The facility was made possible by a nearly $60 million gift from philanthropists John Pritzker and Lisa Stone Pritzker, longtime supporters of UCSF.
