Increased efficiency for staff and more privacy for patients will be the net result when Fountain Centers moves to its new location.

Saturday, December 04, 1999

Increased efficiency for staff and more privacy for patients will be the net result when Fountain Centers moves to its new location.

The Albert Lea Medical Center staff plan to start moving furniture at the beginning of the year with patients being admitted as soon as Jan. 20, said Ginny Larson, ALMC administrator.

&uot;Right now, the staff moves between the buildings throughout the day,&uot; said Larson. &uot;It doesn’t provide as much opportunity for communication.&uot;

Fountain Center will house chemical dependency outpatient and in-patient services for both adults and adolescents. The detox center and behavioral health outpatient services will also be located there.

The halfway house will continue to be located in the current Fountain Center building, along with some of the administrative and business offices.

Although the trend is toward outpatient services for chemical dependency, Larson said Fountain Centers will continue to offer in-patient services.

However, &uot;the number of beds will be less than the in-patient services here. The trend is to focus on outpatient services.&uot;

There will also be an underground garage for the detox center. Larson said the underground garage will provide security and privacy.

Also, a classroom will be completed for adolescents completing in-patient care.

The patients in Fountain Center will have &uot;the best view in the house,&uot; Larson said. The majority of the rooms overlook Fountain Lake, others the courtyard.

The courtyard will also provide patients a more private space for patients.

&uot;Right now, there’s really no place for them to go but the sidewalks,&uot; Larson said.

It all serves to improve a chemical treatment and behavioral health facility that has already gained attention.

&uot;Fountain Centers has a proven track record. It’s well known throughout the state,&uot; Larson said. She added the chemical dependency program tailored for Hispanics and the geriatric care program have set it apart from other chemical dependency treatment centers.

Also scheduled for completion early next year is the helipad.

While some residents in the area have raised concerns, Larson said neighbor meetings have helped to answer the public’s questions.

The helicopter is not as loud as some might think, plus it will not be brought to Albert Lea that often.

&uot;There’s not going to a huge volume of flights,&uot; Larson said. &uot;People need to remember that when the helicopter is called it’s to save a life.&uot;

Once that phase of construction is complete, the medical center will attend to other projects.

Though there’s no specific time frame, ALMC plans to add an ambulatory surgery suite, Larson said. Also included in that stage of construction is the chapel or meditation room.

At present, the medical center doesn’t have a chapel, but there are several rooms in which families can gather in times of crisis.