SEE RELATED STORY: Doing mental healthcare differently 

For more information about Ava Health, go online to helloavahealth.com or call 970-239-8740.

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Grand opening is Feb. 20

Ava Health will open for business on Feb. 9 at its Crossroads Campus, 2784 Crossroads Blvd. in Grand Junction, and it will host a grand-opening celebration there on Feb. 20, 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Ava Health Chief Executive Officer Christopher Bennett wrote in his weekly newsletter, dated Jan. 29, “We announced our Grand Opening Celebration last week, and in just six days 73 community members have already RSVP’d. On February 20th, we’ll open our doors, share why Ava Health exists, and invite you into the work ahead.

“Please share this with anyone who feels called to be part of it and RSVP.”

The waitlist is growing

In the same newsletter, Bennett said, “Just three weeks after announcing Ava Health’s opening, 13 individuals are already on our waitlist, with another 14 scheduled for pre-assessments. The need is real, and capacity is filling quickly. We’re honored by the trust and ready for the work ahead.”

Where else will Ava Health operate?

In addition to the Crossroads Campus, which Ava Health purchased, it bought a “residential and stabilization facility” near Molina, offering a calm, nature-based setting on 40 acres. Bennett said the latter is called The Homestead.

Ava Health also is leasing two homes in Grand Junction with public-transit access to outpatient services, and 14 apartments near 12th Street and Bookcliff Avenue.

Who owns Ava Health?

Ava Health was founded by three partners: Bennett; Ian Gershman, chief operating officer; and David Purinton, chief financial officer.

Bennett said they combine to bring more than 60 years of experience in behavioral healthcare, operations and finance. He detailed their experience as follows:

• Bennett has spent more than 17 years in behavioral healthcare, starting on the front lines as a case manager and later founding and scaling multiple treatment and consulting organizations. He previously founded Encore Recovery, which was acquired by the Caron Foundation, and has advised healthcare organizations nationwide on growth, culture and marketing. His work has focused on building organizations that deliver high-quality care while staying accountable to the communities they serve.
• Gershman brings more than 30 years of experience across nearly every behavioral health setting, from detox and residential treatment to outpatient care and harm-reduction programs. He has worked nationally and internationally, including nearly a decade in the United Kingdom. Ian specializes in building systems that support staff and remove barriers for patients, with a strong belief that people can thrive when given the right tools and support.
• Purinton is a seasoned healthcare finance executive with deep experience in investment banking, private equity and behavioral health operations. He has helped organizations grow sustainably through disciplined financial planning, fundraising and strategic partnerships. At Ava Health, he ensures the organization is built to last, meaning financially strong, operationally efficient and accountable.

Full continuum of care

Bennett said Ava Health offers a “full continuum of care,” which means “individuals can receive the right level of treatment at the right time, without being bounced between disconnected providers.”

He then listed the following services:

• Medical detox.
• Mental health stabilization.
• Residential treatment.
• High Intensity Outpatient (aka PHP).
• Intensive Outpatient (IOP).
• Outpatient services.
• ASAM Level 3.1 Transitional Living.

All services are for adults (18 years old and older) with mental-health needs, substance-use challenges or both.

“The goal is simple: No wrong door,” Bennett said. “Someone can enter care at any level and continue their recovery within one coordinated system. This continuity reduces relapse, improves outcomes and creates a more humane experience for patients and families.”

Who can access Ava Health’s services?

Bennett said Ava Health is designed to serve people with Medicaid, commercial insurance (in- and out-of-network) and private pay.

“The mission,” he said, “is to provide a level of care and experience typically reserved for the wealthiest patients, but make it accessible to everyone, regardless of income or background.”

Why Grand Junction?

The need for comprehensive behavioral healthcare on Colorado’s Western Slope was identified by talking with state and regional leaders, Bennett said, and after those initial conversations the Ava Health team conducted extensive research, including demand analysis, market studies and financial modeling. They also spoke directly with local providers, city and county leadership, law enforcement, courts and public health officials.

“The conclusion was clear,” Bennett said. “There is a significant gap in coordinated, high-quality behavioral healthcare in Mesa County, and Grand Junction is well-positioned to support a full continuum model.”

Confident this will work

On its website, Ava Health said it aims to be a trusted name in mental healthcare within five years.

Confidence in that belief, Bennett said, comes from experience and accountability.

“The Ava Health team has seen what works and what fails in behavioral healthcare,” he said. “They plan to operate with unusual transparency, publicly tracking outcomes such as patient stability, staff retention and reductions in hospitalizations and incarceration.

“They also intend to measure and share their economic impact in the community, including jobs created and local spending – an approach rarely taken in healthcare.”

Gearing up to open

From the outset of its Feb. 9 opening, Bennett said Ava Health will have 48 licensed transitional-living beds along with high-intensity outpatient, intensive outpatient and outpatient services, including ambulatory detox at its Crossroads Campus.

A second phase will follow in mid-March, when Ava Health plans to open The Homestead, which will offer mental health stabilization, medical detox and residential treatment.

Bennett said the final steps for the residential campus include completing life-safety certification and state licensure “in close coordination with the Division of Fire Prevention and Control and the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration. These processes are well under way and required before admitting residents at that level of care.”

How many jobs will be created?

Bennett said 46 people participated in the “all-staff” meeting on Jan. 28, and more employees will be onboarded before opening The Homestead, which Ava Health aims to do in March.

How do you plan to grow?

“Growth will be guided by community need, not rapid expansion,” Bennett said, adding Ava Health plans to continue collaborating with local and regional partners on the Western Slope before considering additional communities.

“The focus is on building sustainable, high-quality care where gaps exist, not competing where services are already sufficient,” he said.

Goal: Accessible world-class care

Asked what Ava Health’s ultimate goal is, Bennett summed it up with this:

“To prove that world-class behavioral healthcare can be accessible to everyone, not just those with wealth or premium insurance, and to work with communities and governments to replicate that model where it’s needed most.”