Construction has begun on the long-awaited Kisner Foundation and Friends Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness at Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia. To celebrate, Kevin and Brittany Kisner took the first hammer swing to transform the previously open space above the Wellstar Children’s lobby into the new center.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in in 6 kids in the United States has a treatable developmental disability. These conditions include ADHD, learning disabilities, autism, anxiety and depression, and intellectual disability. In addition, 1 in 4 teens have reported feeling sad or hopeless, and 1 in 5 have contemplated suicide.

PGA Tour Golfer Kevin Kisner and Brittany Kisner have committed $5.3 million to establish developmental and behavioral health services for the center, which will bear their name. Other donors include Norfolk Southern, Atlanta Gas Light and Walmart Community Foundation. The Kisner Center will provide vital pediatric mental health services, including testing and treatment for mild behavioral issues as well as more complex diagnoses for children across Georgia.

Many of these services are already in place throughout the children’s hospital, but the multidisciplinary center will bring them together in one convenient location. The new approach will enhance collaboration among specialties and allow for expanded developmental-behavioral health services, increase psychiatry consultation services and promote comprehensive and timely care.