UCLA Health announced a $100 million gift from philanthropists Stewart and Lynda Resnick to advance mental health care services, marking the single largest gift in the health system’s history dedicated to behavioral health. The contribution, made through the Resnicks’ foundation, will fund the expansion of a neuropsychiatric hospital and the development of a comprehensive mental health campus to dramatically increase access to care and advance research addressing the growing mental health crisis in Los Angeles.
Hospital Expansion and Campus Development
The gift will support relocation and significant expansion of the Stewart and Lynda Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, currently located within Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, to 5900 West Olympic Boulevard. The expansion increases capacity from 74 to 119 beds—a 61% increase—and includes a new 20-bed unit designed to diagnose and stabilize patients experiencing acute behavioral health crises. The new hospital is expected to open in fall 2026, with completion of an upgraded medical office building later that year. The crisis stabilization unit is expected to open the following year. Adjacent to the new hospital, the UCLA Resnick Mental Health Campus will feature relocated outpatient programs for adults and children, various community resources, gardens, trees, and landscaping designed to create a healing environment for patients and families.
Community Impact and UCLA Leadership Response
UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk noted the gift strengthens UCLA Health’s ability to serve more patients at a critical moment. “At a moment when the need for accessible, high-quality mental health services has never been greater, their commitment reinforces the link between research, clinical care and community well-being,” he said. UCLA Health President Johnese Spisso stated that by “expanding inpatient services and integrating outpatient and community-based programs, we will be able to serve more people in need.” The hospital, named after the Resnicks following their 2005 contribution, has become “one of the most well-regarded psychiatric hospitals in the country.”
Broader Philanthropic Commitment
This gift brings the Resnicks’ combined lifetime giving to UCLA to nearly $200 million, including extensive support over five decades to the medical, law, and arts and architecture schools, as well as the Hammer Museum. The Resnicks co-own The Wonderful Company, one of the largest agricultural enterprises in the country. Through their company and foundations, they have contributed $2.5 billion in philanthropic support to communities across California’s Central Valley, Fiji, Mexico, and Los Angeles.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.uclahealth.org/news/release/ucla-health-announces-100-million-gift-stewart-and-lynda