Mobile, Ala. – September 22, 2026 -- AltaPointe Health has completed a $15 million expansion at BayPointe Hospital, adding 34 adult psychiatric beds and raising total capacity from 104 to 138 beds, the organization announced at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held Monday.
Mobile County funded $6 million of the project through American Rescue Plan Act allocations
The Mobile County Commission contributed $6 million in federal pandemic-relief funding toward the $15 million total cost, according to AltaPointe Health. Commission President Connie Hudson and Commissioner Merceria Ludgood attended the ceremony alongside state lawmakers and AltaPointe board members.
Hospital shifts from pediatric-only model to serve adult psychiatric patients
BayPointe Hospital previously focused on inpatient psychiatric treatment for children and adolescents. In 2025, the facility began serving a limited adult population by converting 24 existing children's beds, according to AltaPointe. Hudson said Mobile County previously lacked a facility serving the general adult population, with existing services limited to juvenile and geriatric care.
Expansion adds classroom space and supports probate court referrals
The project includes additional classroom space for students receiving treatment at BayPointe and expanded capacity to support individuals referred for psychiatric evaluation through local probate courts, per the announcement.
Tuerk Schlesinger, chief executive officer of AltaPointe Health, said the expansion increases access to care for the community. BayPointe is one of two freestanding psychiatric hospitals operated by AltaPointe, alongside EastPointe Hospital in Daphne. AltaPointe Health delivers more than 1.9 million services annually to about 45,000 patients across seven Alabama counties, and its physicians serve as faculty for the University of South Alabama Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry.