History & Mission

Weill Cornell Medicine's uniquely distinguished academic psychiatry program synergizes superior clinical care, research at the forefront of knowledge, education and training for clinicians and investigators in an exceptional faculty community, and unparalleled collaboration in outstanding facilities.

Our History

NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center

New York Hospital was founded in 1771 by a royal charter granted by King George III of Great Britain and became associated with Weill Cornell Medical College upon the latter institution's founding in 1898.

Payne Whitney Clinic

Following its opening in 1791, New York Hospital began serving the needs of patients with psychiatric illness as the first New York City hospital to develop a separate facility offering progressive, humane treatment for the mentally ill. After outgrowing its earlier locations, the Payne Whitney Clinic opened its doors in 1932 in a freestanding building on New York Hospital's new East 68th Street site, staffed by eminent psychiatrists pioneering new treatments and conducting groundbreaking research concerning the progression and treatment of mental illness. Today, the name Payne Whitney has become synonymous with psychiatric care of the highest quality.

NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) Hospital

NYP Hospital, created through the merger of what was then Cornell's New York Hospital and Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, benefits from the collaboration of two extraordinary programs, offering the highest level of psychiatric services from experts who are recognized leaders in their respective specialties. The NYP Behavioral Health Program is considered a premier program in the New York metropolitan area and consistently ranked among the nation's best.

Westchester Behavioral Health

NYP opened the Westchester hospital in White Plains, New York in 1894 after outgrowing its previous locations in New York City. In October 2019, and upon the celebration of the program's 125th anniversary, the campus was renamed Westchester Behavioral Health , a name that more aptly recognizes the program's prominence in American Psychiatry. Since its inception, NYP's Westchester program has been at the forefront of a movement known as moral treatment, providing patient-centered care in an elegant facility specifically designed to offer the tranquility and activities required for mental health healing. The beautifully landscaped Westchester grounds cover over 200 acres, and the gracious buildings, many of which retain their original historic detail, provide ample space for specialized services and therapeutic activities. Leading psychiatric health care experts with a variety of specializations offer outstanding treatment and compassionate care, with patients benefitting from the latest findings of the faculty's cutting-edge research.

Planetree, an organization dedicated to ensuring that patients are cared for in healing environments that nurture the mind, body and spirit, designated the NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center as a patient-centered "Gold Certified Site" in 2011, making it the first behavioral health hospital in the U.S., and one of only 16 hospitals worldwide, to receive this distinction.

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide outstanding clinical care for our patients and their families, engage in cutting-edge research to advance knowledge and provide the finest education available for the clinicians, researchers, and educators of tomorrow, in collaborative partnership with our affiliates.

Our Values

Excellence in everything we do
Patient-focused care, provided seamlessly and respectfully
Respect for all clinicians and staff members
Cultivation of fulfilling careers in an environment that fosters opportunities
Innovation at the forefront of patient care, research and education
Preservation and stewardship of our unique resources
Scholarship for all clinicians, residents, students, trainees and staff members