RICHMOND, Va. — Construction crews will transform an empty lot into a state-of-the-art medical office building aimed at improving behavioral health access in the city's East End.
Bon Secours administrators and city leaders broke ground on the site Tuesday morning, which is sandwiched between Nine Mile Road and Richmond Community Hospital.
“This is a very exciting day,” said Richmond Community Hospital COO Joey Trapani. “It’s really integrated in the fibers of this neighborhood. I think that’s what sets this hospital apart.”
Once complete, the building will house a partial hospitalization program for adults and adolescents living with behavioral health and substance abuse disorders.
And the groundbreaking pic.twitter.com/8JyOSSBWQu
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The program will serve as a step between traditional outpatient care and hospitalization at a time when hospital beds are scarce across the state.
The facility will include the Bon Secours Mobile Assessment Response Team (BSMART), which is focused on behavioral health intake and response, and a behavioral health teleconsult call center.
“The center will employ licensed clinical social workers who are able to address needs for patients who are in crisis throughout the system,” Trapani explained.
Instructive Visiting Nurse Association will also operate a clinic in the building.
The two-story, 25,000 square foot facility is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Bon Secours estimated the cost at $8.5 million dollars.
The new building is part of a Performance Agreement with the Richmond Economic Development Authority and will create 75 new jobs.
“Bon Secours has been a great partner of the East End community for many years,” said City Council President Cynthia Newbille. “I look forward to seeing this project come to fruition and seeing the residents of this great community take advantage of the services and job creation this facility will bring to this area.”
