Groundbreaking Celebration for New Skilled Nursing Facility Scheduled for May 15

  • April 16, 2012

Rendering of the front of the new skilled nursing facility
Rendering of the front of the new skilled nursing facility
Rendering of a resident’s room at the new skilled nursing facility
Rendering of a resident’s room at the new skilled nursing facility

Brookings Health System will celebrate the groundbreaking of the new skilled nursing facility on Tuesday, May 15 in the Brookview Manor parking lot at 4:30 p.m., with an official ceremony to start at 5 p.m.

The celebration will coincide with National Nursing Home Week, May 13-19, an annual observance sponsored nationally by the American Health Care Association.

 

“The theme for National Nursing Home Week this year is ‘Celebrating the Journey,’” said Long-Term Care Administrator Jason Hanssen. “By holding our groundbreaking celebration during this week, Brookings Health System honors the lives and milestones of our residents we have had the privilege to care for and the staff who serve them.”

 

Construction of the new skilled nursing facility is phase two of Brookings Health System’s overall Master Campus Plan. The 67,000 square feet structure will triple the existing space at Brookview Manor.

Brookings Health System intends to build a pod-style facility with three distinct neighborhoods. Each neighborhood will consist of two households. Each household will accommodate 13 residents with a total of 26 residents per neighborhood. The neighborhoods and households will include kitchen and living spaces as well as private family dining rooms, spa areas and other amenities.

Centrally located between and connecting the three neighborhoods will be Town Center. Town Center will be the heart of social activity within the new skilled nursing facility and act as the community’s Main Avenue. Here residents will gather for social interaction with each other and loved ones, including religious services, coffee, and purchasing sundries. Areas to be incorporated into the Town Center include:

  • Country Store
  • Café
  • Library with Internet Café
  • Chapel
  • Beauty/Barber Shop with Manicure Station
  • Large Gathering Hall
  • Lobby and Lounge Area
  • Administration Offices

The new skilled nursing facility will initiate a culture change, creating a home-like, neighborhood environment focused on residents. It will adopt the universal worker concept, diversifying staff’s capabilities and consistently assigning them with a small group of residents. With more space and respect for residents’ rights, Brookings Health System’s goal will be healthier residents and individually tailored care.

More information and graphic renderings detailing the new skilled nursing facility is available on Brookings Health System’s website, www.brookingshealth.org/phase2.

About Brookings Health System

Brookings Health System, located in Brookings, South Dakota, includes a 49-bed hospital, the 79-bed Brookview Manor nursing home, and Brookhaven Estates apartments. It is a non-profit, city-owned facility that offers the community a full range of inpatient, outpatient, and extended care services. The emergency room is staffed 24 hours a day and provides around the clock medical-nursing care for patient needs ranging from minor injuries to life threatening crises. For more information about the services offered at Brookings Health System, please call (605) 696-9000 or visit us on the Web at brookingshealth.org.