HealthPartners to open new mental health building at Regions Hospital

ST. PAUL, Minn. --(Business Wire)--

HealthPartners today announced that it will open a new eight-story mental health building at Regions Hospital on Monday, Dec. 10. The $36 million facility, which replaces the existing inpatient facility on its St. Paul campus, marks a new era of mental health care for the community.

Media note: Tours of the new building and interviews are available upon request

A grand opening celebration will be held on Friday, Dec. 7, from 11:30 a.m. - 7 p.m., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon. The event is open to the public, and includes tours of the new building and a preview of a new anti-stigma campaign.

"Regions Hospital is a place of hope and healing, and we continue to make investments that reflect the needs of the community," said Brock Nelson, president and CEO of Regions Hospital. "This project is more than a building. It's about providing our patients and their families care in an environment that is equal to the level of care we provide for other illnesses."

Building features 100 private rooms, healing environment
The building is designed specifically to care for patients with mental illnesses, providing a safe, healing environment that promotes recovery. It is nearly twice the size of the current space, and has 100 private patient rooms, with the option of adding an additional 20 rooms. The facility is the largest private investment in mental health in state history, and comes at a critical time when demand for services continues to grow.

Collaboration with former patients and family members was key to the design and the way care will be provided. During the 18 months of construction, the hospital engaged these key stakeholders, developing a new patient-centered care model that includes expanded pogramming, more treatment options and allowing patients to be more involved in their care plan.

"The care we provide will play an important part in our patients' road to recovery, but we know it is just one part of the journey," said Mary Brainerd (News - Alert), president and CEO of HealthPartners. "Together with the HealthPartners Clinics and community-based resources, we can provide patients with the right level of care throughout their treatment."

HealthPartners is the largest provider of mental health services in the east metro area, and among the largest in the state. In addition to inpatient mental health, the comprehensive program includes chemical dependency treatment, outpatient care, crisis stabilization, and residential living facilities.

New anti-stigma campaign
In conjunction with opening the new mental health building, Regions will also preview a new campaign to draw attention to the negative stigma associated with mental illnesses. The campaign, "Make it ok," is designed to encourage people to talk more openly about mental illnesses and ask for help.

"Mental illnesses affect people from every walk of life," said John Kuzma, MD, a HealthPartners psychiatrist and medical director of mental health services at Regions. "In fact, one in five Minnesotans experience a mental illness each year, with countless others feeling the effects of these illnesses every day. Most people live with the symptoms of a mental illness for up to 10 years before seeking treatment, largely due to the stigma. We are working to change that."

Through its "Campaign to Transform Mental Health Care," Regions Hospital Foundation has raised $4 million from community members and organizations to support the new facility and programming. More details are available at www.regionshospital.com/rh/foundation.

The general contractor for the building is Kraus-Anderson; the architect is BWBR. More details about the new building and the event are available at regionshospital.com.

About Regions Hospital
Regions Hospital is a Level I Trauma Center for adults and for children serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin for more than 130 years. A private, nonprofit, teaching hospital, Regions (www.regionshospital.com) provides outstanding care in women's health, heart, cancer, surgery, orthopaedics, neuroscience, burn, emergency care, mental illnesses and more. Regions is part of the HealthPartners (www.healthpartners.com) family of health care companies that serves 1.4 million medical and dental health plan members nationwide.