Mercy has thrown open the doors on a massive new Mercy Kids Center for Neurodevelopment in Chesterfield, pulling diagnosis and treatment for autism and other developmental conditions into one highly consolidated home base. The expanded facility now stretches Mercy’s pediatric footprint to nearly 43,000 square feet and brings therapy, diagnostic testing and NICU follow-up services together on a single campus that Mercy leaders say should significantly improve access for families across the St. Louis region.
The health system overhauled an existing building at 1415 Elbridge Payne Road, tripling the space from about 12,000 square feet to roughly 43,000, according to the Mercy Newsroom. That project kicked off with a wall-breaking event in June 2024 and moved forward with fundraising to finish the build-out. Mercy officials describe the new site as a central “hub” for diagnoses with outreach “spokes” that provide treatment at locations around the region.
Inside, the center offers physical, occupational and speech therapy alongside autism diagnosis and intensive behavioral services. Mercy says the facility is designed to eventually serve as many as 40,000 families. The opening lined up with Autism Awareness Month, and Mercy St. Louis president Tricia McGusty told reporters, “When a child is supported, a family is supported.” Parents at the ribbon-cutting described big gains for kids receiving intensive therapy, including one child who had been getting up to 20 hours each week of treatment, as reported by FOX 2.
Services and Programs
The Chesterfield site brings together four integrated Centers of Excellence, covering pediatric therapy, autism diagnosis and treatment, school success and learning support, and NICU follow-up, according to the Mercy Health Foundation. The idea is that families can get multiple evaluations and therapies in one coordinated setting instead of trekking across town to several different offices.
Why St. Louis Needs It
Demand for developmental and behavioral services in the St. Louis area has been climbing fast. The Mercy Health Foundation notes that nearly 20% of children experience developmental, learning or behavioral challenges, and Mercy handled nearly 100,000 patient visits across 22 diagnostic and treatment programs in fiscal year 2022–23. Foundation leaders say the larger, centralized center is intended to double evaluation and treatment capacity, extend services into underserved communities and help chip away at long waitlists that can delay therapy when early help matters most.
How Families Can Get Care
Families can contact the Mercy Kids practice in Chesterfield directly to schedule evaluations and therapy. The location lists a local phone number and a “call to schedule” option on Mercy’s website, and Mercy is actively adding staff as services ramp up. Recent job postings for behavior analysts and therapy providers show the system is hiring to keep up with increased demand.
At the opening, parents and staff praised the coordinated model and the early progress they have seen, with one caregiver saying she was “incredibly thankful” for the care team. Mercy leaders say the new center should shorten waits and make it easier for children across the St. Louis area to start therapy sooner, while system and foundation leaders continue fundraising to sustain and support the expanded services.
