Crowd Gathers for Ribbon Cutting, Tour of New Emergency Department Behavioral Health Unit

CHESAPEAKE, Va. – This morning, community supporters and stakeholders gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of Chesapeake Regional’s new Emergency Department Behavioral Health Unit, to open soon.

The Emergency Department Behavioral Health Unit, previously referred to as the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), is part of Chesapeake Regional’s growing Behavioral Health program and the product of a $3.7 million grant from the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

Mark Solesky, Chief of Police for the City of Chesapeake, Commissioner Nelson Smith of the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, Reese Jackson, President & CEO of Chesapeake Regional Healthcare, and Amber Egyud, Chief Operating and Nursing Officer of Chesapeake Regional Healthcare, addressed the crowd during the ribbon cutting ceremony.

The City of Chesapeake, the Commonwealth’s second largest and most populous city, has been without a licensed Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit. Creating a Behavioral Health program to serve the citizens of Chesapeake allows patients to receive treatment closer to home, rather than elsewhere in the state. The program is vital to the community. It keeps support systems intact and is a more effective continuum of care.

Following the ceremony,  interested parties toured the Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit, now under construction. The 20-bed unit is expected to open in early 2026.

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