Facility profile Nevada

Willow Springs Center

Open Reno, Nevada

Willow Springs Center is a residential treatment center in Reno, Nevada, operated by Universal Health Services (UHS). It has operated since 1988.

About Willow Springs Center

It was run by Universal Health Services.source

It had a grand opening of a new, state-of-the-art residential treatment facility for children and adolescents.source It reported $2,000-$3,000 per day.source Stays lasted about 6 months on average, 2 months to a year.source

It was a member of the American Association of Children's Residential Treatment Centers.source The school was licensed by the State of NV.source It was accredited by the Joint Commission (JCAHO); licensed by the State of Nevada as a psychiatric hospital.source It was accredited by Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization (JCAHO).source

Also drawn on: Psychiatric Solutions 10-K FY2009, properties table, 2010.

Timeline

From the records: who ran it and the deals that moved it, its names, and the deaths, incidents, inspection findings, lawsuits and news stories on file. Point at an event, or tap "More about this", for the details.

19882005201020122019202019882020

  1. 1988

    1. Opened

      Opened in Reno, Nevada

  2. 2005

    1. In the newsDecember 13, 2005

      Provo Canyon School Closure

      1 article in StrugglingTeens.com.

      Provo Canyon School Closure December 13, 2005

      An interview details the planned January 2006 opening of the Academy at Canyon Creek, a residential youth facility in Springville, Utah. Founders discuss their professional backgrounds in behavioral healthcare and juvenile administration, stating an initial licensing capacity of 64 residents to manage growth.

  3. 2010

    1. OwnershipNovember 15, 2010

      Universal Health Services (UHS): Bought Psychiatric Solutions, adding its 94 behavioral health facilities

      Universal Health Services and Psychiatric Solutions Inc ran Willow Springs Center on either side of the deal.

      Universal Health Services (UHS): Bought Psychiatric Solutions, adding its 94 behavioral health facilities November 15, 2010

      UHS announced the deal on May 17, 2010, paying $2 billion in cash and taking on $1.1 billion of PSI debt. It completed the acquisition on November 15, 2010. After closing UHS ran 25 acute care hospitals and 102 behavioral health facilities and schools, and PSI brought 94 facilities. ProPublica reported that the combined company would be the largest US operator of inpatient psychiatric care.

      source 1, source 2

  4. 2012

    1. IncidentNovember 2012

      Investigation

      Between November 2012 and April 2013 the Nevada State Health Division substantiated four complaints against Willow Springs about mistreatment of patients...

      Investigation November 2012

      Between November 2012 and April 2013 the Nevada State Health Division substantiated four complaints against Willow Springs about mistreatment of patients, including abuse, patient rights violations and involuntary seclusion without clinical justification.

      source

  5. 2019

    1. Incident

      Abuse

      A parent reported in 2019 that two nurses were fired, one for slapping and another for choking a child, and that human protective services sent photos of the marks.

      Abuse

      source

  6. 2020

    1. IncidentApril 2020

      Incident

      In early April 2020, 51 residents and staff at Willow Springs were reported to have tested positive for COVID-19; one infected staff member died.

      Incident April 2020

      source

    2. IncidentApril 2020

      License action

      Inspectors noted five violations of state regulations (infection control, staffing shortages, staff training, unsafe environment); the state fined Willow...

      License action April 2020

      Inspectors noted five violations of state regulations (infection control, staffing shortages, staff training, unsafe environment); the state fined Willow Springs $17,000 and ordered corrective actions.

      source

    3. IncidentApril 3, 2020

      Investigation

      On April 3, 2020 state health inspectors visiting about the COVID-19 outbreak found teens rioting, breaking ceiling tiles and charging at staff.

      Investigation April 3, 2020

      source

Federal funding

Federal money this program received, as government records, congressional reports and news coverage show it.

Medicaid

  • 2023: Accepts Medicaid. source

Medicaid and federal child welfare funds

  • 2022-2024: Named in the U.S. Senate Finance Committee's June 2024 staff report "Warehouses of Neglect" (pp. 85, 113), which covers youth residential treatment placements "funded through the Medicaid program and the Social Security Act's child welfare provisions" (p. 3). The report says Medicaid was 39 percent of Universal Health Services' behavioral health revenue in 2023 (pp. 28-29). The report cites a federal deficiency report on it from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (p. 113). source

TRICARE (health insurance for military families)

  • Runs a Universal Health Services program for military families (Patriot Support), and treatment directories list it in network with TRICARE. source

Incidents on record

  1. November 2012 Investigation

    Between November 2012 and April 2013 the Nevada State Health Division substantiated four complaints against Willow Springs about mistreatment of patients, including abuse, patient rights violations and involuntary seclusion without clinical justification.source

  2. 2019 Abuse

    A parent reported in 2019 that two nurses were fired, one for slapping and another for choking a child, and that human protective services sent photos of the marks.source

  3. April 2020 Incident

    In early April 2020, 51 residents and staff at Willow Springs were reported to have tested positive for COVID-19; one infected staff member died.source

  4. April 2020 License action

    Inspectors noted five violations of state regulations (infection control, staffing shortages, staff training, unsafe environment); the state fined Willow Springs $17,000 and ordered corrective actions.source

  5. April 3, 2020 Investigation

    On April 3, 2020 state health inspectors visiting about the COVID-19 outbreak found teens rioting, breaking ceiling tiles and charging at staff.source

  6. Abuse

    Survivors report rampant solitary confinement, undertrained staff, violent and excessive physical restraints, chemical restraints, severe medical neglect and verbal/emotional abuse; HEAL lists the program as Suspect.source

  7. Restraint

    A survivor reports a letter from the Nevada government criticizing the program for overusing chemical restraint.source

  8. Sexual abuse

    A survivor reports that one staff member had sexual relations with a patient and stopped showing up for work, with no known legal action.source

News coverage

  • StrugglingTeens.com Dec 13, 2005 Corporate

    Founders Outline Background and Opening Plans for Academy at Canyon Creek

    An interview details the planned January 2006 opening of the Academy at Canyon Creek, a residential youth facility in Springville, Utah. Founders discuss their professional backgrounds in behavioral healthcare and juvenile administration, stating an initial licensing capacity of 64 residents to manage growth.

  • BioSpace Oct 19, 2005 Corporate

    Psychiatric Solutions Completes Acquisition of 20 Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities From Ardent Health Services

    Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. completed the acquisition of 20 inpatient psychiatric facilities from Ardent Health Services, expanding its network to 54 facilities with over 6,300 beds. The transaction was valued at $560 million and was financed through a combination of cash and equity. The acquisition positions PSI as the largest provider of inpatient psychiatric care in the United States.

Staff

Administration

  • Jim Serratt

    Chief Executive Officer, CEO (2008-2012)source

    Elsewhere in the industry

    • Willow Springs RTC Western Regional Director of Referral Development, before 2008

  • Scott York

    Former Chief Executive Officer (2008)source

  • Tricia Larmer

    Executive Director of Business Development (2008)source

  • Andrew Herod

    CEO (2020, r/troubledteens wiki)source

    Elsewhere in the industry

    • Covenant Health Clinical Residential Program Manager, boy's residential program, 2006

Notable staff

  • Alan E. Fruzzetti

    Clinical Consultant, Adolescent Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Program (2012)source

  • Calli Anderson

    Treatment Team (2011)source

  • Dana M. Arlien

    Medical Director, Chief Medical Officer (2008-2013)source

  • Jason Walenta

    Medical Director (outpatient program) (2007)source

  • Jennifer Vonarx

    Admissions Director (2013)source

  • Pam Golden

    Community Liaison, Marketing Team, Community Liaison (2007)source

    Elsewhere in the industry

  • Philip Malinas

    Chief Medical Officer (2007)source

  • Ethan Steever

    Chief Clinical Officersource

  • Tayler Landa

    Directorsource

    Elsewhere in the industry

    • True North Treatment Center Therapist, 2025

Connections on the network map

The companies, people and programs our research map ties to this program. Open it on the network map.

Documents

Documents on file (12)
Woodbury Reports Mentions (12)

Research that mentions this program

The whole research library

From the Unsilenced archive

84 documents about Willow Springs Center that Unsilenced collected and Kids Over Profits does not hold a copy of. They open on Unsilenced's Google Drive. Their whole folder: Willow Springs Center.

Documents (84)

From SCIAD NET

2 documents about Willow Springs Center that Kids Over Profits does not hold a copy of. SCIAD NET keeps them on Google Drive, where they open.

Wiki entries

Materials and links

Reference and research

1 of these from SCIAD NET.

Other links

Record updated . Generated from the Kids Over Profits facility database. Suggest a correction