Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA) recently broke ground on its new crisis stabilization unit to be located on the Cherokee Indian Hospital campus in Cherokee, N.C. The unit is part of the CIHA’s multi-unit behavioral health treatment and rehabilitation program. It is slated for completion is summer 2020.

The two-story addition will total 80,000 square feet. The first floor will include an outpatient behavioral health facility with 13 Talking Rooms, an exam room, a small group room, a large group room, two large classrooms, an arts and crafts group room, a kitchen, and a dining/living room. To support this space, the center of the floor will contain faculty workstations and administrative offices.

The second floor will house the Crisis Stabilization Unit with 18 inpatient health patient rooms, four acute care patient rooms, two large group therapy rooms, a dining area, a wellness gym, and an accessible patient roof deck patio. Faculty and support staff will have designated work space in the core of the floor.

Two conference rooms, two meeting rooms, a computer lab, a trauma simulation room, a new maintenance area, storage, office space and a warehouse now occupy 31,000 square feet of a former hospital structure.

The project team includes Robins & Morton (general contractor) and McMillian Pazdan Smith (architect).