Springwoods Behavioral Health
Fayetteville, Arkansas
80 beds, 58,000 SF
Construction cost: $11.5 Million
Featured in Behavioral Healthcare article
"Safety first", both for patients and staff, is a critical rule in the design of behavioral healthcare facilities and is the guiding principle in the 80-bed Springwoods Behavioral Health facility in Fayetteville, Arkansas completed in July 2009.
A completely open nurses' station with safely rounded corners is situated in the middle of the corridor and surrounded closely by the therapy spaces used most often by patients. This puts caregivers in the ideal position to interact directly with patients. Actual working functions of the nurses' station are located in a treatment planning room with locking doors and shatterproof windows that allow for safe observation while carrying out other administrative functions and a safe haven for staff to reestablish order if patients exhibit questionable behaviors. Carefully planned treatment spaces include a day room for watching TV, playing games and other noisy activities; a quiet activity room; and a group therapy room.
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Breathing room — inside and out.
A great body of evidenced-based design studies strongly suggests that access to the outdoors improves patient outcomes. Psychiatric care is no exception. Each of Springwood's units offers patient access to a walking trail, outdoor play courts, views to the Audobon Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, along with access to playground equipment for children and adolescents.
The plan of this hospital was strategically built for growth. With a simple expansion the hospital can add 40 beds. Each of the key departments is also set up for growth including administration, dietary, and education.