Madison, WI (October 11, 2016) – Mental illness is unlike cancer and heart disease. Most people living with a mental illness don’t want to talk about it, yet 1 in 4 adults will suffer from a form of it in their lifetime. Today, SSM Health St. Mary’s hospital is pleased to announce the renovation and expansion of its adult inpatient Behavioral Health Unit.
St. Mary’s Hospital has provided psychiatric care for more than 60 years and currently has the largest adult inpatient behavioral health unit in Dane County. The Restoring Strength & Hope project will allow us to provide a better and more comfortable environment for patients and their families.
“Other hospitals across the country are closing their inpatient units, and resources in Dane County are becoming increasingly limited,” says SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital president Jon Rozenfeld. “We are proud that this project will allow us to increase the number of beds available to treat adults suffering from mental illness while providing newly redesigned quiet, comfortable space for rest and healing.”
Currently, the unit can accommodate up to 20 patients, mostly in semi-private rooms. This new project will increase capacity by 20 to 25 percent and include private patient rooms. The redesign will offer clinicians greater options for addressing the needs of their patients.
“Parts of our current unit feel somewhat dated,” says psychiatrist Matthew Sager, MD. “The newly redesigned space will have a very calming and therapeutic feeling. We know that the environment can impact a patient’s emotional well-being. We look forward to being able to provide a more home-like setting.”
The entire project is estimated to cost $4.2 million. The SSM Health St. Mary’s Foundation is committed to securing $1.5 million for the project. Today marks the kick off of the foundation’s
Restoring Strength & Hope campaign. Donations can be made by visiting the foundation’s website atwww.stmarysfoundation.org or by calling 608-258-5600.
About SSM Health in Wisconsin
SSM Health is a Catholic, not-for-profit health system serving the comprehensive health needs of communities across the Midwest through one of the largest integrated delivery systems in the nation.
In Wisconsin, SSM Health serves an 18-county area in the south-central part of the state through inpatient care at SSMHealth St. Mary’s Hospital – Madison, SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Janesville and SSM Health St. Clare Hospital – Baraboo. SSM Health provides outpatient medical and health services through a network of more than 50 SSM HealthDean Medical Group locations, and serves about 425,000 lives through Dean Health Plan. Also part of SSM Health are two skilled nursing facilities (SSM Health St. Mary’s Care Center in Madison and SSM Health St. Clare Meadows Care Center in Baraboo) and Navitus, a pharmacy benefit management services company.