Largest PrairieCare hospital in MN to open in Brooklyn Park скачать в хорошем качестве

Largest PrairieCare hospital in MN to open in Brooklyn Park

The signs are up, the parking lot is full and contractors are hard at work—hints that Brooklyn Park's newest medical facility is close to complete. When PrairieCare opens Sept. 8, the 72,000-square-foot hospital and clinic will be ready to take in 50 kids and teens for inpatient psychiatric care. "We’re working on some last-minute finishing touches," said Jen Holper, marketing director for PrairieCare. Holper says the new hospital is committed to making mental health care not just more accessible, but also more comfortable. "It used to be all white walls, very stark, very 'hospital,'" Holper said. Holper says PrairieCare conferred with parents to get ideas on how to avoid that atmosphere. Everything in the new hospital is a result of those discussions, from the colorful lighting to the indoor and outdoor play areas. The white walls of a patient room have been replaced with chalkboard paint so family members and staff can leave notes for the kids. Even the foam doors of the bathroom have a purpose. They offer privacy to the patients and Velcro shut, but Holper explained they can also be removed for patient and staff safety. Fills great need Dr. Joel Oberstar, CEO of PrairieCare, says the new facility will fulfill a great need in Minnesota. "In the time I’ve been a practicing psychiatrist, there’s been a real shortage of access to inpatient psychiatric care," he said. One in five kids between the ages of 9 and 17, Oberstar says, has a mental illness. Half of all mental illness begins before age 14. Oberstar hopes that the new hospital will allow those kids to get help more quickly and without having to travel miles away from home. "It’s a truly exciting opportunity," said Oberstar. Cassie Bonstrom, reporting http://www.ccxmedia.org   / ccxmedia.org     / ccxsports     / ccxnews   Learn about our mobile app - http://bit.ly/CH12app Channel 12 is on Comcast cable in the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis and includes the cities Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale.