New PrairieCare Brooklyn Park hospital will help about 1,500 children and adolescents each year

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2015

PrairieCare Brooklyn Park, a new 50-bed child and adolescent psychiatric hospital, opens next week and will help fill the gap in providing pediatric mental health services to Minnesota families.

The new hospital replaces the organization’s existing 20-bed Maple Grove hospital. PrairieCare has been sharing the new facility with the public this week through several open house celebrations.

The Star Tribune reported on the new hospital and ribbon cutting ceremony. The new acute care hospital is segmented into units for adolescents and teens, and includes separate units for patients who need high-intensity care and supervision due to their levels of psychosis.

PrairieCare’s leadership, including Dr. Stephen Setterberg, President, Dr. Joel Oberstar, CEO, and Todd Archbold, Chief Development Officer and Practice Manager, all spoke on the importance of this milestone for Minnesota’s youth.

The number of lives saved has fueled our passion, said Dr. Setterberg. This passion has helped the new hospital facility become a reality.

The Star Tribune reported that the new hospital, at the southeast corner of Zane Avenue and Hwy. 610, will not include a psychiatric emergency department. Patients will largely be admitted after going to general hospital emergency rooms and being evaluated for their need for inpatient psychiatric care.

“People can get access to emergency departments,” said Dr. Oberstar. “We’ve chosen to focus on what we can do and do well.”

 The new hospital will serve about 1,500 children and teens each year, with the average length of stay being 8 to 10 days, until patients are stabilized and linked with outpatient care services.

Several officials were represented at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and all spoke of the impact of PrairieCare’s services and new Brooklyn Park hospital. Guests included staff from U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar’s and U.S. Senator Al Franken’s offices, Minnesota Senator John Hoffman and Brooklyn Park Mayor Jeffrey Lunde.

Pope Architects was the architect and interior designer for the new 72,000 sq. ft. hospital, and R.J. Ryan Construction was the builder.

Find more information here:

CBS Minnesota – 50-Bed Child Psychiatric Hospital Opens In Brooklyn Park

MPR News – Psychiatric hospital for kids and adolescents to open in Brooklyn Park

MD News – PrairieCare: Changing the Landscape of Psychiatric Care