Center of Attention

Crews are fleshing out the interior of the new Virginia Treatment Center for Children, plus the week's health news

by

Sandy Lewis stalks the halls with purpose as she leads a tour of the new Virginia Treatment Center for Children on Sherwood Avenue.

Along the way, she has to talk above the cacophony of tools and machinery controlled by a gaggle of workers as they fill out the steel skeleton with drywall, wiring and all the other necessities to complete the interior of the $60 million facility in preparation of its opening later this year or early in 2018.

Lewis is the executive director of the center, and it’s evident that she already envisions this hive of controlled construction chaos the way it will look and feel when it’s in use, providing inpatient and outpatient services to children and teens in need of behavioral health services.

She points to the framing above what will be a doorway and notes how it can be opened if its occupant tries to block it from within. An alcove that will become a shower has a similar feature. She notes how the facility will take advantage of natural lighting to make its interior bright and welcoming, and how its entrance has a natural, comforting and relaxing ambiance.

But more importantly, she describes how this state-of-the-art, family-friendly facility will enhance healing of its young charges, how it provides a calming, soothing environment that makes the children feel more at home, and how it will be home to an array of services, treatments and resources.

“We treat the whole child,” says Lewis.

Virginia Treatment Center for Children is part of the Brook Road campus of the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. The 119,600-square-foot building is set to replace a 54-year-old facility downtown. The former site will be demolished to make way for parking, says Lewis.

The Sherwood Avenue facility is about 37 percent larger than the current site. It will have 32 beds in the two wings of its inpatient treatment center, with room to add an additional 12-bed unit as needed.

It also will have two wings for outpatient services, which will allow for a threefold increase in its outpatient treatment capacity. The treatment center in 2015 provided inpatient services to 990 children and to some 7,000 on an outpatient basis.

It’s also home to the Children’s Mental Health Resource Center and to the research work of the Commonwealth Institute for Child and Family Services.

The residential wings arc off a nursing station centrally placed for a clear view. Patients have their own room and private bath. Parents are generally allowed to stay with their child.

“We really believe that the family is an intricate part of the treatment,” Lewis says.

Some rooms are basically self-contained units with their own living room and small courtyard so they can be used if needed for special accommodations, say, a patient who is much younger or of a different gender than others in a cluster.

There also are common areas for entertainment or living. Inpatient children in grades K-12 also have access to a school program.

There are no mechanical restraints and no seclusion used here, and there hasn’t been for years, says Lewis. They take a collaborative problem-solving approach. The average length of stay is less than seven days.

The two outpatient wings include spaces for medical exams and therapy. Some rooms are clustered around observatory rooms for research or medical monitoring.

The entry area has a water feature, high-gloss terrazzo flooring, wood detailing and full-windowed front, “so all the senses are hitting you as you enter the building,” says Lewis.

A butterfly motif will be part of the décor here. There’s also access to the Children’s Mental Health Resource Center, and a kiosk for returning patients to check in. An area for inpatient assessment and intake has its own side entrance.

The facility also includes a kitchen and cafeteria, a half-court gym that can double as a space for lectures or events, exterior courtyards and gardens, and play equipment. It will provide an array of ways to engage the senses, including a labyrinth and fragrant flowers.

At the heart of the center is a two-story area for offices. Lewis hopes that it will encourage collaboration and creativity. Staffing is being expanded to accommodate the increased caseload. Support staff may also be boosted if needed after the facility opens.

The building is state-of-the-art and eco-friendly, earning a silver certification through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. It has also earned an Award of Merit in a design showcase competition from Behavioral Healthcare, according to a VCU release.

Heavy-grade steel was used in its construction, and its windows can withstand a hurricane. It has a backup power source and can be tweaked to use different fuel sources.

“We designed this building to last more than 50 years,” says Lewis.

By the Numbers

THE FACILITY: The Virginia Treatment Center for Children

ADDRESS: 1308 Sherwood Ave.

OPENING: Late 2017, early 2018

COST: $60 million

SIZE: 119,600 square feet; current facility 86,330 square feet

CAPACITY: 32 beds, with room to expand to 48; 20 consultation and exam rooms

CHILDREN SERVED: 990 inpatient, 7,000 outpatient in 2015

ARCHITECT: CannonDesign

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT: Balfour Beatty Construction

HEALTHY DEVELOPMENTS

A roundup of the week’s health and medicine news

  • The TriCities Emergency Center celebrates its opening with a community celebration and tour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The 11,000-square-foot HCA Virginia facility is open around the clock and provides adult and pediatric emergency care. This type of facility is like an emergency room in a full hospital; not an urgent care facility or walk-in after-hours clinic. TriCities Emergency Center is at 1700 Temple Parkway in Prince George, off Temple Avenue just west of the intersection with Puddledock Road.
  • A free forum on teen mental health issues is being offered through the Virginia Home for Boys and Girls. Youth Mental Health First Aid will provide information on identifying, understanding and responding to substance abuse and mental health issues, according to a release. The daylong course will be offered July 21, Aug. 11 and Sept. 15 at the fellowship hall on campus, 8716 W. Broad St., Henrico. Mental Health First Aid is an initiative of the National Council for Behavioral Health. The facility on Wednesday also announced a refreshment of its brand to reflect its services, which include its group homes, therapeutic programs and its John G. Wood School for children with “emotional and behavioral challenges.”
  • A 12-point checkup can help seniors become safer drivers through the CarFit program. The checkups are free and are offered from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday at Crossridge Independent Living, 3300 Crossridge Glen Way in Glen Allen. CarFit is an educational program in which trained inspectors will work with you and your car to make any necessary adjustments and adaptations to help keep you safe behind the wheel. It takes about 15-20 minutes. Call 800-552-3402.
  • Joe Mazzo has assumed duties as chief executive officer for the John Randolph Medical Center in Hopewell. He is a registered nurse with more than 10 years of clinical nursing experience, according to a HCA Virginia release. Mazzo, who succeeds Suzanne Jackson in the post, comes to John Randolph from a similar post at Lakeview Hospital, an HCA facility in suburban Salt Lake City, Utah. The New York native started on May 30.