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TOGUS

Improved facility unveiled

By Craig Crosby ccrosby@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

AUGUSTA -- Military veterans suffering psychiatric illnesses will now be treated in a modern facility that staff members say is safer and more comfortable than ever before.

The Togus Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Friday unveiled its new 18,000-square-foot ward, renovated to provide short-term care and assessments for veterans suffering acute psychiatric episodes.

"I can't express to you how excited I am," Medical Center Director Brian Stiller said. "We have great staff and veterans committed to helping themselves. Now we have the environment to pull it all together."

The acute psychiatric ward, which is triple the size of the current location, will allow Togus to increase the number of people treated, from 16 to 24 beds, said Ryan Lilly, associate medical center director.

Four of the new beds are dedicated to geriatric psychiatric patients. There is a shortage of beds designed for the elderly statewide, Stiller said.

The patients stay an average of five to 10 days.

The current facility has three to four beds per room, while most of the rooms in the new ward have a single bed. None of the rooms has more than two beds. Unlike the current ward, each room has its own bathroom.

"We're really pretty cramped in the old space," Lilly said.

The new ward also features larger and more group rooms than the current facility, which has just one day room.

The pastel colors and numerous windows allow lots of light and give the entire floor a comfortable, home-like feeling.

While comfort was a big concern, safety dominated every facet of the design, Lilly said, from the furniture down to the door hinges.

Bathroom doors, for example, are slanted, shower sinks are controlled by buttons and lights are fixed with tamper-resistant screws, all in an effort to prevent patients from injuring themselves.

Suicide rates among veterans exceed those of the population at large, Lilly said.

"We've tried to create a room that doesn't have any anchor points," he said.

The furniture is made up of a composites formed with no hard edges that are weighted to make them too heavy to throw.

"We have a really comprehensive (safety) check list," Lilly said.

The renovations, which cost $5.5 million, began in March 2009.

Patients are expected to begin moving into the facility Monday.

"It's a huge improvement," Stiller said. "It's patient-centered. It's a clean, clear atmosphere to heal in."

Craig Crosby--621-5642

ccrosby@centralmaine.com