WakeMed Breaks Ground on Major Mental Health Campus in Garner
WakeMed held a groundbreaking in early November 2025 for a new Whole Health Campus in Garner, a multi building project intended to expand local access to both behavioral and physical health care. The campus will add a 150 bed mental health and well being hospital and a 45 bed acute care hospital near Timber Drive East and White Oak Road, with construction expected to finish between 2028 and 2029.
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Wake County residents gathered in early November as WakeMed, joined by state leaders, marked the start of construction on the WakeMed Whole Health Campus in Garner. The project will sit on roughly 53 to 56 acres near Timber Drive East and White Oak Road and is designed to bring integrated physical and behavioral health services to the region.
The campus will include a 150 bed Mental Health and Well Being Hospital alongside a 45 bed acute care hospital. WakeMed says the design focuses on whole person care, integrating inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services with traditional medical care in a single setting. Planned program features include an emergency department open around the clock, inpatient and outpatient behavioral health amenities, and therapies such as art and music to support recovery and wellbeing.
WakeMed will partner with Sheppard Pratt to provide specialized mental health expertise for the campus. Officials described the site as a transformational addition to regional behavioral health capacity, aiming to ease pressure on existing facilities and provide local families with more timely access to care. Construction is expected to be complete in 2028 to 2029 with phased openings planned so services can come online as portions of the campus are finished.
The project received a mix of local, state, federal, and philanthropic support. Wake County and the State of North Carolina each contributed six million dollars toward the development, and additional federal funding and philanthropic gifts were raised through the WakeMed Foundation campaign titled Courage to Confront Crisis. WakeMed leadership and Governor Josh Stein were among those who attended the ceremony.
For Wake County, the campus represents both a clinical and community investment. Behavioral health needs have been rising across the state and region, and officials say local residents currently face long waits and travel for specialized care. By locating acute medical services and a large behavioral health hospital within Garner, WakeMed aims to shorten travel times for patients, provide more coordinated crisis care, and offer a continuum of services from emergency response to outpatient follow up.
The development will also have economic impacts during construction and once operational, creating jobs and bringing health care resources into the Garner area. WakeMed has indicated phased openings will allow parts of the campus to begin serving patients before full completion, which could provide earlier relief for overburdened facilities elsewhere in the region.
As the project moves from groundbreaking to construction, Wake County leaders and health care providers will monitor progress and community benefits. The campus is being positioned as a key regional resource for addressing behavioral health challenges while coupling that care with acute medical services close to home.
