Jun 27, 2022
Rancho Mirage, Calif. – Over the past four decades, thousands of patients, family members, and taxi and Uber drivers have rolled through the entrance of the world-renowned Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage. Today, the center known for healing and hope is expanding access and visibility and, on Monday, began welcoming guests through a new entry at 39407 Vista Del Sol, the first big milestone in a multi-year campus transformation made possible by the continued generosity of donors, including many grateful alumni.
"It is an exciting time on our campus as we celebrate the past 40 years and build our foundation for the next 40. It's also an important time in our community and around the world as more people struggle to overcome addiction and mental health challenges," said Tessa Voss, vice president of Hazelden Betty Ford's California Region and administrator of the Betty Ford Center, who spoke at a ribbon-cutting event on Monday. "Many patients, families and children will drive through our new entrance over the upcoming decades and start their path toward recovery—so we wanted to honor and uplift that journey, as well as Mrs. Ford's own journey and lifesaving advocacy, by marking the occasion and recognizing the special meaning behind our new address."
The new address—in full: 39407 Vista Del Sol, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270—holds a special significance as the final three digits honor the center's namesake, former First Lady Betty Ford, and her sobriety anniversary of April 7. It will be reflected in Google Maps starting July 1.
The original entrance, on Bob Hope Drive, is shared with neighboring Eisenhower Medical Center. While Eisenhower's address will no longer be used by the Betty Ford Center, the original entrance will remain open to use by staff and vendors.
"Patients will no longer need to access health care for their addiction and mental health needs through the back entrance," Voss said. "Our new, more visible and accessible entrance will proudly welcome and provide reassurance to all who seek change, serve as a beacon of hope, and strengthen the Betty Ford Center's bond with the community we love."
The Betty Ford Center is part of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation—the nation's leading nonprofit system of substance use disorder treatment, mental health care and related prevention and education services. The center's longest tenured employee and newest hire were both involved in Monday's private ribbon-cutting ceremony for patients and staff. It was the latest in a yearlong series of events that celebrate the center's 40th anniversary and will culminate in November with a special alumni reunion. The new entrance is part of the Betty Ford Center's most significant expansion since opening in 1982—a four-year, $30 million transformation that began last year and will include construction of three new buildings and many updates to the grounds.
About the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is a force of healing and hope for individuals, families and communities affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs. As the nation's leading nonprofit provider of comprehensive inpatient and outpatient addiction and mental health care for adults and youth, the Foundation has treatment centers and telehealth services nationwide as well as a network of collaborators throughout health care. Through charitable support and a commitment to innovation, the Foundation is able to continually enhance care, research, programs and services, and help more people. With a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center, the Foundation today is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in its services and throughout the organization, which also encompasses a graduate school of addiction studies, a publishing division, an addiction research center, recovery advocacy and thought leadership, professional and medical education programs, school-based prevention resources and a specialized program for children who grow up in families with addiction. Learn more at HazeldenBettyFord.org and on Twitter.
