|
According to Becky Schnur, spokesperson for the Maine Hospital
Association, the major news in the last six months for Maine has
been the opening of a new facility for Spring Harbor Hospital. The
100-bed treatment and recovery center opened at the beginning of
March in Westbrook. Previously, the hospital had its facilities
in South Portland.
The new hospital is a $27 million facility set on 50 private acres
and is southern Maine's only private psychiatric treatment and recovery
center. The hospital specializes in the care of children and adolescents
and does short-term inpatient treatment for youth that experience
both acute mental illness and developmental disorders. The hospital
also treats adults who are in the process of recovery from co-occurring
mental health and substance abuse issues.
With 25 percent more therapeutic space than the previous facility,
Spring Harbor staff members feel that the new building will function
more effectively as a site for the hospital's specialized programs,
and for training psychiatry residents. Gail Wilkerson, chief marketing
officer for the hospital, says that emergency rooms are reporting
more clients requesting Spring Harbor for services. Also, the new
building seems to have beneficial effects on clients.
"They are as acutely ill as ever," she says, "but they don't seem
to manifest as acutely as they did in our last facility." She credits
the new building's environment and feel, which is much brighter
and cheerier than Spring Harbor's previous location.
"We've had consumers who come in and say that the facility resembles
more a resort than a hospital," Wilkerson says. "We're happy to
hear that, because we wanted to make it more residential so people
would feel at home."
Part of that feeling is the use of artwork that features seacoasts
and mountains and ties the hospital together with its natural surroundings.
Wilkerson adds, "The whole idea is that nature is continually renewing
itself. That's a theme that we wanted to have in the facility."
Schnur adds that the Augusta Mental Health Institute, which was
scheduled to move to a new facility as well, is facing some delays.
Although the new facility, named the Riverview Psychiatric Center,
was supposed to have replaced the Augusta campus in March, a tour
by state hospital inspectors has delayed the move. Extensive retrofitting
of door hinges is needed. An opening date was not given at the time
of this writing, but it is expected that the move will take place
by summer.
Elizabeth Millard
|
