Groundbreaking Held for SoundMind Behavioral Health Hospital

SoundMind Behavioral Health Hospital LLC has broken ground on a 55,000-square-foot facility in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma for general and geriatric inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services. The hospital, which will serve patients with acute mental and behavioral problems, including dementia, has been designed as a trauma-informed healing environment that will support safe and efficient operations.

The design team worked extensively with administrators, physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, patients and local authorities to design the hospital with a focus on comfort, safety and compassionate care. The 72-bed hospital, set on a 14-acre site, will consist of three separate nursing units with 24 beds each. Each nursing unit includes a seclusion room, quiet room and a nurses’ station with clear sightlines throughout the corridors.

Additional service areas include spaces for patient assessment and admitting, an ECT procedure room, a commons area/activity space, visitor rooms, a dining room, provider offices and administrative areas and outpatient group therapy areas. The facility has been carefully planned for visual monitoring of all patients when away from their rooms, and features anti-ligature hardware, doors, plumbing and other building components specified for patient safety and suicide avoidance.

The design emphasizes the creation of warm and inviting spaces that promote a calm and healing environment. Daylight and connections to nature, proven to positively impact patient moods, are emphasized throughout the facility with expansive windows and courtyards with visual and physical access to the outdoors. Artwork was also selected to enhance the therapeutic, calming and restorative atmosphere within the patient spaces.

Dewberry is the prime architect and interior design consultant. EDA+FKI Engineers is serving as the mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineer. Wallace Engineering is providing site/civil and structural engineering. Cowen Construction is the general contractor. The project is scheduled to be complete in 2021.