Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority, Behavioral Health

McMillan Pazdan Smith assisted the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation with the design of their behavioral health treatment and rehabilitation departments serving both adult inpatients and adult and pediatric outpatients. The project scope includes the completion of the new 18-bed Crisis Stabilization Unit (with potential to grow to 28 beds) and the relocation of the Analenisgi Outpatient Clinic and Recovery Center. The inpatient unit has a separate high acuity unit and a treatment mall comprised of groups room, wellness gym, and outdoor roof garden. Progressively stepped schedules for implementation of half-way houses will guide care beyond the inpatient and outpatient programs.

The Cherokee believe that no person is less than another, a belief that leads to a stigma-free design for healing mentally and physically as a natural extension of care. Following a continuum of care from crisis stabilization to successful re-integration into the tribe is not just the goal but the actual plan in the minds of these caregivers – a path to rehabilitation for otherwise sidelined adults. Across this spectrum of care, the Cherokee culture of telling their people’s story remains a central guiding principle.

We employed Target Value Design principles to craft an integrated cost, scope and schedule compliance process that was initiated at the outset of the project, engaged all project stakeholders, and monitored and managed the project costs throughout the life of the design process. We established target costs for each building element and designed to that target. We then tracked and recalibrated each budget element at project milestones to meet the total project cost objectives.