The Rehabilitation Center is a showcase facility situated in a wetlands area right within the city limits

New Facility Meshes with Natural Setting

Location: Battle Creek, Michigan
Project Type: New Facility
Square Footage: 43,545

After almost four years of conducting feasibility studies, planning and searching for a suitable location—followed by 14 months of con-struction—staff and officers of Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center (SRRC) finally said “goodbye” to their home at the old Community Hospital last May and said “hello” to their new, spacious facility at 393 E. Roosevelt Road on the north side of Battle Creek.

The site SRRC ultimately selected for its new facility is as close to perfect as one could hope. For one thing, the Battle Creek area itself is becoming known as one of the leading healthcare hubs in the state. Within the immediate vicinity of the new Rehabilitation Center is a nursing home and an assisted-living facility, along with several other nursing homes nearby. Within only a 10-mile radius of the new site is the Battle Creek Health System hospital, a sports medicine center, a veteran’s medical facility and numerous doctor’s offices and urgent care units.

Beautiful Setting for a Beautiful Structure

“The setting itself makes this a showcase facility,” says Todd McDonald, Project Director for CSM Group. “It’s situated in a wetlands area near a large, natural pond, and it’s right within the city limits.” To take advantage of this stunning and unique location, the facility was built with large windows along the perimeter on all four sides. This way, patients and staff could enjoy the beautiful views, any time of day or night.

What’s more, a quarter-mile-long boardwalk was built along the edges of the wetlands area so that patients can take long, leisurely strolls through nature during their stay. On the south side of the building, large, automatic doors were installed to give easy access to a beautiful, floral garden.

“I have to believe this kind of setting helps patients during their therapy, rehabilitation and recovery,” states McDonald.

Being situated in a wetlands area posed its own considerations and hurdles. Teams from CSM Group, the architectural firm of Diekema Hamman and site designer L. L. Harris and Associates all worked closely with the Michigan Department of Environ-mental Quality to make sure everyone understood and adhered to the guidelines on what could and couldn’t be removed, planted or trimmed while constructing the walkway. “That kind of close-working relationship was necessary to, one, make sure the building would meld naturally with the environment and, two, there were no setbacks during the construction process,” adds McDonald.

State-of-the-art Facility for Inpatients and Outpatients

The 43,545-square-foot, two-story facility with its combination masonry veneer and structural steel frame is unusual in the sense that it offers both inpatient and outpatient services—outpatient on the ground floor, inpatient on the upper floor. It includes 26 inpatient beds, admin-istrative offices, private treatment rooms, a health and fitness area, and a 12' x 22' therapy pool that can accommodate several patients at a time.

The 6,000-square-foot fitness area is state-of-the-art. The free-weight room is designed for use by patients who require strength and flexibility exercises as part of their therapy, and an adjoining room is equipped with elliptical machines, stationery bi-cycles with television monitors, and treadmills for patients working on their cardiovascular system. McDonald adds, “The fitness center at SRRC also serves as an inter-mediate step for patients who have left the facility, but aren’t yet com-fortable with joining a larger health club. SRRC offers memberships to these individuals so they can continue their rehabilitation in familiar surroundings.”

According to Vicki Nelson, Vice President of Diekema Hamann, a great deal of effort went into creating a “feeling” environment, much like one found in a home. “Soft, muted colors and textures were used in patient rooms and hallways to create a sense of warmth and friendliness. Some rooms are also equipped with stoves, washers and dryers to provide a home-like setting and to allow for retraining in the skills necessary for patients to live independently again.”

Staff Interaction is Key in Design

“In the design of this $8.3 million facility, a great deal of thought was given to the requirements for an ‘interdisciplinary team effort’,” says Nelson. “For example, at this facility, you have a rehabilitation staff and a nursing staff. Obviously these are two very different disciplines where highly skilled professionals attend to the specialized needs of patients. Yet it’s important that each staff share information on patient progress, changes in treatments or procedures, and conditions. To encourage and facilitate this kind of interaction, a staff meeting room was created on the second level—the inpatient level—where staff members could meet regularly to update each other and discuss schedules, therapy, diets and other patient needs.”

Carrying this interaction one step further, executive offices were also built on the second level so administrators were aware of patient progress. “This also reassured patients that everyone at the center was involved in their care and rehabilitation. It showed patients that their recovery would be the result of a true team effort,” says Nelson.

Unusual Roof Design is Functional and Attractive

According to McDonald, the facility features an architectural metal roof system that provides a hipped roof appearance in that it slopes down on all four sides. However, it’s actually a false roof that conceals the mech-anicals, such as HVAC equipment. This gives the building a clean, con-temporary look, while hiding such potential eyesores as ductwork, metal housings and cables. Extend-ing beyond the roof on all four sides is an eight-foot overhang that provides natural protection from the elements and shading to the second-floor windows—a key element in improv-ing energy efficiency.

And an Appreciative Construction Management Firm

Larry Wentzel and Dan Button, Project Managers at CSM Group, are just as complimentary of the staff at SRRC and their facility. Says Larry, “It’s such a pleasure to work on a project where all your efforts are acknowledged and appreciated. Everyone at SRRC, especially Diane Giannunzio, went out of their way to express their gratefulness throughout this project. You can’t ask for nicer people.”

Dan Button adds, “I agree. Plus, it’s so rewarding being involved with a beautiful, new building like the Rehabilitation Center. There’s an obvious shared pride by everyone.”

Some Things Changed, Some Remained the Same

While many things have changed for the staff at Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center since May, including relocating to a new building, at a new location, and with new equipment, some things have remained the same. The same loyal staff members still provide the same high-quality care that patients have come to expect. And the Center still provides the same wide range of comprehensive inpatient and out-patient services. Oh, and one more thing: they still have the same phone number (269.965.3206).