Groundbreaking Held for Behavioral Health Building Project
On Thursday, June 15th, IRMC officially broke ground on an adolescent adult and geriatric behavioral health facility. This historic occasion marked the beginning of the building project for the 31,000 square foot, 44 bed, mental health inpatient facility that will provide treatment for 8 adolescents, 24 adults, and 12 geriatric patients. IRMC, along with their board of directors, welcomed local and state officials, community leaders, and others closely affiliated with the project to break ground.
Dr. Joseph Buzogany, Department Chair of IRMC Mental Health Sciences noted, “The impact of this endeavor is huge. There will be a dramatic expansion in services to the community from a mental health perspective. The future here is limitless, and I am excited to be part of it.”
The overall building project is expected to cost approximately $19 million and take the next 16-24 months to complete. As of today, IRMC has received funding commitments from IRMC Healthcare Foundation Building Project funds, private funding, and government grants, totaling over $12 million and they will be continuing to pursue additional funding. The project boasts options for naming rights to the building, its 4 wings, 2 courtyards, 4 quiet rooms, and therapy areas.
This initiative is part of IRMC’s commitment to answering the increasing crisis of mental health in our community and surrounding area. Statistically, one in five U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, with suicide, drug-induced mortality and dementia seeing substantial increases during the past decade.
“It’s exciting to think that this project is going to become a reality. It is going to be a huge benefit to Indiana County. It will have a regional impact, by increasing the capacity for individuals in need of inpatient behavioral health services to remain in their communities and reduce the need to utilize beds in surrounding counties,” remarked Tammy Calderone, Armstrong-Indiana Behavioral & Developmental Health Program Administrator.
IRMC strongly believes they can make a difference by creating a level of care that does not currently exist in our region. The project goals are to provide comprehensive care under one roof, provide early intervention in mental health care and reduce Emergency Room wait times.