by CHRIS ROGERS
Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center (HVMHC) plans to buy Winona Health’s Urgent Care building on Sarnia Street in Winona. At 45,400 square feet, it is a big building, and last month, HVMHC secured $2 million in loans to help purchase and renovate the property. Coming on the heels of last year’s multi-million-dollar project to build Hiawatha Bluffs Living — an apartment complex serving 20 people with chronic mental health issues from across Southeast Minnesota — the new project represents another big investment in mental health care in Winona.
“It’s one of the biggest ventures, if not the biggest venture, the organization has taken on for a long time,” HVMHC Executive Director Julie Hanson said in an interview last month. “It’s very exciting.”
Winona Health CEO Rachelle Schultz said that while some administrative desks will be relocated from the Sarnia Street property to Winona Health’s main campus immediately, the organization’s urgent care and outpatient rehabilitative services departments will stay put for now. The rehab department and an independent periodontal office will remain in the building for the longterm — HVMHC does not need the entire space — while Schultz plans for urgent care to relocate to the main campus around the time of the new YMCA building’s construction next year. “We’re thinking it’ll probably be over in the clinic,” she said of the urgent care department’s future home. Schultz explained that her organization is planning to move departments around within the main campus, which will open up more space.
Last fall, Winona Health purchased the adjacent former Wells Fargo branch building. Asked about whether that building would be used as part of the relocations, Schultz said that Winona Health wants to start using the former bank soon, but does not have any plans to announce yet.
HVMHC plans to use the Sarnia Street facility to consolidate its multiple, current Winona offices into a single location, and Hanson said the agency will expand its staffing, as well, particularly in the area of school-linked mental health. With the help of state funding, HVMHC already sends therapists to each school in the Winona, Lewiston-Altura, and St. Charles school districts, according to Hanson. They are available at no out-of-pocket cost to families.
Schultz said she was glad to see HVMHC expand. “We just need these services in the community, so I’m pleased to see them growing,” she stated.
Hanson said that HVMHC is growing to meet the community’s needs, though recruiting mental health professionals is challenging and the future of health insurance is somewhat unclear. “We’re growing very quickly, and I’m not able to hire the staff we need to meet the needs in the community we’re doing our best to serve,” she stated. There are efforts underway to work with colleges and licensing boards to streamline the path into the workforce, Hanson added.
The Goodview City Council voted unanimously last month to help HVMHC secure $2 million in loans for the purchase and partial renovation of the property. The city of Goodview issued “pass-through” bonds, sometimes called conduit debt. According to bond experts, HVMHC benefits from better loan terms under the deal, and the city and its taxpayers are not liable for repayment. HVMHC initially asked for the city of Winona to issue the bonds, but Winona already borrowed $9.5 million out of the $10-million-per-year cap on city borrowing under state law. Winona took out loans this year to fund the Levee Park project, the Masonic Temple restoration, numerous sewer and water upgrades, and other park projects.
Article source: http://www.winonapost.com/Article/ArticleID/55853/Urgent-care-to-be-sold-to-mental-health-provider