Children's Nebraska Appoints Venkata Kolli, MBBS, as Medical Director of Behavioral Health & Wellness Center
Venkata B. Kolli, MBBS, has accepted the role of medical director for the Behavioral Health & Wellness Center at Children’s Nebraska. Set to open in January 2026, the Behavioral Health & Wellness Center is a world-class facility that will provide the full spectrum of pediatric mental health services for children and their families. Dr. Kolli will oversee acute clinical services within the center, including urgent care, crisis assessment, partial hospitalization and inpatient care. Built in partnership with the Mental Health Innovation Foundation, the Behavioral Health & Wellness Center is located at 8511 West Dodge Road on Children’s main hospital campus.
“Welcoming Dr. Kolli is an important milestone on our growth journey to expand access to compassionate, high-quality behavioral healthcare for children and families,” said Renee Rafferty, MS, LIMHP, LPC, Children’s senior vice president of Behavioral Health & Wellness. “His leadership, combined with his dedication to family-centered, holistic care, will help us build a healing environment where young people can find hope, connection and support.”
“This innovative treatment center will be a beacon of hope and healing that will ensure families in crisis have access to the care they so desperately need,” said Dr. Kolli. “I am honored to collaborate with the team at Children’s Nebraska to meet the growing needs of children and adolescents and provide care that is evidence-based, family-centered and team-oriented.”
Dr. Kolli joined Children’s medical staff in 2024 and is a special faculty member in the department of Psychiatry at Creighton University. He has also treated patients at Columbus Psychiatry Clinic in Columbus, Neb., since its opening in 2019.
Dr. Kolli attended medical school at NTR University of Health Science in India and completed his MRC Psych at The Royal College of Psychiatrists in London. He earned a master’s degree in health and pharmacoeconomics at the University of Pompeii Fabra in Barcelona, Spain, and completed his adult psychiatry residency and child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Creighton University School of Medicine. He also served as the quality improvement champion for the residency and fellowship programs at Creighton.
Dr. Kolli is an active member of the Psychiatry Resident In-Training Examination® (PRITE®) editorial board and is a member of the Nebraska Regional Councils of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. He is also a member of the American Psychiatric Association, serving on its scientific program committee.
“We are excited to work alongside Dr. Kolli as we create a truly collaborative team that puts the needs of children and families at the heart of everything we do,” said Rafferty.
Career opportunities at the Behavioral Health & Wellness Center will be available later this month. Learn more at ChildrensNebraska.org/HiringHope.