'Next great step': Lakeland Regional Health unveils its new behavioral health center. Take a tour

LAKELAND —  Lakeland Regional Health is prepared to unveil one of the largest investments made into Polk County residents' mental health.

Lakeland Regional has finished construction of the Harrell Family Center for Behavioral Wellness, its first freestanding mental-health facility. It will become the nonprofit health care provider's hub for outpatient and inpatient mental-health services.

Danielle Drummond, Lakeland Regional Health's president and CEO, called the grand opening of the center the "next great step" for the nonprofit provider and surrounding areas.

"It speaks to our commitment to taking care of the community," Drummond said. "We recognize it goes beyond just physical health, it’s well-being. We want to make sure we offer comprehensive services to care for the whole person, which includes our behavioral health services."

Plans for the $46 million facility were publicly unveiled in November 2019, but construction was delayed because of the COVID pandemic. Work got underway in August 2020 with a formal groundbreaking ceremony postponed until February 2021 for health safety concerns.

There is no set opening date for the center, Drummond said, as Lakeland Regional Health still needs the site to pass its state inspections. She anticipates services will start being offered in the coming weeks.

"We anticipate over 21,000 patients to come through the door of the new facility in its first year of operation for all these services," she said.

The Ledger took a walkthrough on Tuesday of the Harrell Family Center for Behavioral Center with Drummond and Alice Nuttall, LRH's director of behavioral health services, to discuss the unique design and innovative technologies incorporated in the space.

The 80,000-square-foot building sits on the southern edge of Lakeland Regional's main campus at 1324 Lakeland Hills Boulevard. The space allows the organization's existing health care services at Lakeland Regional Medical Center and its outlying campus to be brought together under one roof.

"That's the real game changer, as it allows us to provide comprehensive care for patients," Drummond said.

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Psychological innovations

One of the more innovative sections inside the center is the interventional psychology suite. The pre- and post-procedure area is designated for patients who are undergoing intensive therapies, Nuttall said, such as electroconvulsive or transcranial magnetic stimulation. These options are utilized for people who have tried therapy and medications without success, or may be sensitive to medication, Nuttall said.

"One of the things that is nice is often these services are offered in the basement somewhere with no windows or lights," she said. "The fact we have natural light, windows and access to the outdoors is remarkable."

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Lakeland Regional Health has not previously had a designated space for these treatments to occur, Drummond said, limiting its accessibility to interested patients. Right now, it is offering services to 10 to 13 patients on a busy day at the medical center.

"We anticipate being able to double that number out of the gate here," Drummond said.

Nuttall said the interventional suite will also provide critical space for health care providers to implement cutting-edge psychological therapies with adjacent private procedures rooms.

Increasing inpatient capacity

The center will have 96 licensed inpatient beds, an increase of 28 from 68 beds currently set aside for mental-health crises at the main medical center. Those individuals being admitted for inpatient services will have a private entrance around the back side of the building.

The Bill & Kathy Pou Pediatric and Adolescent Unit will consist of 12 inpatient beds designated for youths age 10 to 17. The remaining 84 beds are designated for adults, separated by the severity and specifics of their diagnoses.

Inpatient rooms are evenly split between private and shared, dual-occupancy rooms. Nuttall said this is designed to allowed to offer privacy or offer community building for support between individuals who may be struggling with similar circumstances.

"So often, we are trying to build a sense of community," Nuttall said.

The space was designed with a curved station for nurses, Nuttall said, allowing full view down the length of the inpatient hallways at all times. Inpatient areas have shared common spaces for dining and where they can receive visitors, as family members are invited to visit and help participate in treatment.

Different units are connected via a core, where teams of psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers and others will have offices close together, but separate from patients. Nuttall said by placing these specialists together, it's hoped providers on a singular individual's team can work in close collaboration.

All units will have access to courtyards, enclosed outdoor space segregated by age and unit. Including outdoor access for patients was a key design component.

"Multiple studies show people need to walk and be outside," Nuttall said. "That often helps reduce anxiety of coming to an inpatient space, knowing that you can step outside can have a calming effect."

The designated children's outdoor play space has frosted windows to preserve privacy.

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Expanding outpatient services

The front quadrant of the center has dozens of offices and suites designated for outpatient mental health services. Lakeland Regional Health provides outpatient care starting with children age 5.

Since launching telehealth services during the pandemic, Nuttall said 60% to 70% of all outpatient mental-health services are conducted virtually. She said it's provided a great degree of flexibility for providers and patients on whether they come into the office or sit down for a therapy session from the comfort of home.

Individual treatment rooms have had technology installed to allow providers to easier observe and consult with one another, including the installation of two-way glass. Nuttall said patient consent will be mandatory, but she hopes the open atmosphere will aid in training graduate medical students expected to arrive on site next summer.

Additional group rooms will allow Lakeland Regional to launch and expand its outpatient offerings, Nuttall said. LRH is hoping to gradually start new therapy groups for individuals who need more intensive treatment than outpatient service, but don't require being hospitalized.

"We haven't had the real estate to provide these types of services before," she said.

The space will allow for customizable approaches that Nuttall called partial inpatient hospitalization or intensive outpatient therapy.

Nuttall said she hopes to be able to continue to add on and improve to the space as some of the latest technological innovations in mental health care have occurred in the past 18 months because of COVID.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on Twitter @SaraWalshFl. 

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland Regional Health hospital unveils new behavioral health center