Meet David Axelson, MD, Chief of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
Meet David Axelson, MD, Chief of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health https://pediatricsnationwide.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/071917ds0029c-crop-1024x647.jpg 1024 647 Shannon Caldwell https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/126d10d64ec6ac66b812383c92505d90?s=96&d=mm&r=g
Dr. Axelson and his team have achieved amazing things in the last decade, from more than doubling the volume of patients served to establishing a new research institute for mental and behavioral health, and they’re not slowing down.
We recently sat down to talk with Dr. Axelson about his time at Nationwide Children’s and his plans for leading the next phase of growth in behavioral health care here.
David A. Axelson, MD, is chief of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, chief of the Section of Psychiatry at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the John W. Wolfe Endowed Chair in Pediatric Psychiatry. He is a professor of psychiatry at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Q: How long have you been with Nationwide Children’s Hospital and what brought you here?
A: I have been here at Nationwide Children’s for more than 11 years. I came to Nationwide Children’s for the opportunity to lead an outstanding team to build a comprehensive pediatric behavior health program.
Q: Why are you proud to lead the Behavioral Health team at Nationwide Children’s?
A: Our behavioral health team shows so much dedication to care for youth in need. I’m also proud of how they work together across disciplines to provide outstanding clinical services.
Our behavioral health services span all levels of care, from prevention interventions to crisis and inpatient psychiatric services. In 2023, we provided behavioral health services to over 40,000 unique patients. No other children’s hospital provides the size, breadth and depth of our behavioral health services. They also don’t have such a large integrated facility that provides behavioral health care.
Q: What do you like most about working at Nationwide Children’s?
A: The culture and values of Nationwide Children’s – there is a true commitment to working together as One Team to do what is best for our patients and their families.
Q: What has been your favorite program, project or initiative you’ve worked on during your time at Nationwide Children’s?
A: We have engaged in many worthwhile initiatives while I have been leading the Behavioral Health team, so it is difficult to select a favorite. The largest and most complex project has been the development of the Big Lots Behavioral Health Pavilion. I’m exceptionally proud of how our teams came together to make the vision for the pavilion and all we offer there a reality.
Nationwide Children’s has made a tremendous investment in behavioral health. We have more than doubled the number of patients served annually since I arrived. However, the demand for behavioral health services remains exceedingly high and access to care can still be difficult.
Nationwide Children’s has expanded our behavioral health training programs to expand the behavioral health workforce. We are working with primary care providers to integrate behavioral health services in primary care, which improves access and facilitates intervention earlier in mental health conditions. Nationwide Children’s has also developed prevention intervention programs in the schools and community to reduce the risk of children developing mental health conditions. Finally, Nationwide Children’s is making a substantial commitment to pediatric mental health research so we can learn more about how best to provide better outcomes for pediatric behavioral health.
Q: What are your top three priorities for the future of Behavioral Health Services at Nationwide Children’s?
A: My top priorities are to continue to develop and expand our clinical services across the service line, to increase the scope of our training programs and educational efforts, and to support the successful launch of the Nationwide Children’s Institute for Mental and Behavioral Health Research.
Q: If there’s one thing you could tell a future behavioral health employee of Nationwide Children’s, what would it be?
A: You are joining a wonderful team of dedicated staff who are making a tremendous difference for children and their families.
About the author
As a senior strategist of population health marketing at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Shannon combines her passions for writing and strategic communication, with her desire to give back and make a positive impact in the community. Shannon works with a variety of clients and service lines to achieve goals aligned with the hospital’s strategic plan, like School-Based Health Services, Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families, Partners For Kids and Behavioral Health. Her skills include writing, editing, event planning, media relations, social media, strategy building and more. Shannon serves as the Vice President of Membership for the Central Ohio PRSA Chapter and she is the recipient of the 2021 Rising Star Award. She is a 2018 graduate (Cum Laude) of Ohio Northern University where she studied public relations and social media. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, being outdoors, attending shows and concerts, and exploring all the new and exciting places Columbus has to offer.
