Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Expanding Behavioral Health and Strengthening Pediatric Care at Dayton Children's with Ben Goodstein
Feb 18, 2026
Ben Goodstein, VP and Chief Ambulatory Officer at Dayton Children’s, leads major pediatric and behavioral health growth. He discusses launching a $180M, 48-bed behavioral health hospital. Short talks cover rapid occupancy, operational lessons, workforce recruitment and retention, and expanding integrated pediatric and primary care.
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Rapid Success Of New Behavioral Health Hospital
- Dayton Children’s opened a $180M behavioral health hospital, the Mateel Center, consolidating inpatient, crisis, day treatment and bridge services.
- The unit hit ~90–95% capacity immediately and is serving a unique population while supporting integrated community therapy services.
Embed Behavioral Health In Primary Care
- Integrate mental health into primary care by embedding psychologists, psychiatrists, and therapists in pediatric clinics.
- Teach primary care providers to manage milder cases and provide on-site therapy to reduce hospital utilization.
Inpatient Margins Fund Community Behavioral Care
- A profitable inpatient payer mix can subsidize wider behavioral programs and community services.
- Dayton Children’s uses inpatient margins to fund integrated primary care and therapy access across off-site clinics.