Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority, Hospital Expansion + Behavioral Health

The Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority worked with McMillan Pazdan Smith on this Hospital Expansion project with a large behavioral footprint, including administrative and back of house support spaces. Behavioral Health and Rehabilitation Departments serve both adult inpatients and adult and pediatric outpatients. The project scope included a crisis stabilization unit and the relocation of an outpatient clinic and recovery center. The inpatient unit has a separate high acuity unit and a treatment mall with groups room, wellness gym, and outdoor roof garden. Schedules for implementation of half-way houses guide care beyond the inpatient and outpatient programs.

Culturally-Inclusive Healing: Designing Stigma-Free Spaces for Rehabilitation

The Cherokee believe that no person is less than another.  This belief leads to a stigma-free design for healing mentally and physically as a natural extension of care. Following a continuum of care from crisis stabilization to successful re-integration into the tribe is not just the goal but the actual plan in the minds of these caregivers – a path to rehabilitation for otherwise sidelined adults. Across this spectrum of care, the Cherokee culture of telling their people’s story remains a central guiding principle.

Target Value Design principles were used to create a process that integrated cost, scope, and schedule from the start. This process involved all Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority stakeholders and continuously monitored and managed project costs throughout the design phase. 

For more information on behavioral health projects, please check out our podcast, Behavioral Health and its Integration into Primary Care + Telehealth.