"This investment in our facilities will allow us to enhance the high standard of treatment that Hazelden is known for and will help us serve a greater number of patients," said Jan Vondrachek, executive director of the Springbrook facility.
The project will provide the following:

• relocation of extended care from off-site housing to the Springbrook campus.
• addition of six primary beds and expanded space for group work, clinical offices, the Family Program, and overall patient services.
• replacement of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.

The project fits Hazelden's strategic goals to serve more people and improve outcomes, said Jill Wiedemann-West, senior vice president of Clinical and Recovery Services. "We're growing to better serve our primary and extended care patients."

Extended care moves on campus
Currently Springbrook has beds for 32 extended care patients located off campus in four houses at various locations in Newberg. Patients reside off campus and come on to campus to receive treatment services during the day. The addition of 12,101 square feet of space and renovation of 5,605 square feet will provide the space needed to enhance extended care programming.

"We decided to move the extended care beds on campus to establish a more robust recovery community for our patients," said Wiedemann-West. "On-campus housing will enhance the continuity of care and enable greater interaction among peers. In addition, the move will allow us more flexibility in managing how our beds are used, utilizing them for primary or extended care patients as needed."

Primary care beds increase
The construction and renovation project will add three additional rooms for primary care patients, adding six patient beds and one additional bed for the medical unit that will be used as a single bed for patients with special medical or physical needs. Springbrook currently has 44 primary care beds and eight medical beds. A 10,104-square-foot addition and a 910-square-foot renovation will provide space for the additional patient beds plus 11 staff offices and eight group/multipurpose rooms.

"The additional space is really needed," said Vondrachek. "Currently we are very challenged in finding adequate space to accommodate groups. The additional space will translate into a better environment for patient care."
Among the guests at the groundbreaking ceremony were Joan Austin, the founder of Springbrook Northwest; Sonja Haugen, CEO of Austin Industries; Dr. Phil Snedecor, the first medical director of Springbrook; community dignitaries; and Hazelden staff and friends.

Construction is expected to conclude in the first quarter of 2010, weather permitting.

Published November 2008