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Officials outline $332 million plan for new Jamestown state hospital campus
Summary
HHS officials described a $332 million design for a new 165‑bed state psychiatric hospital on or near the Jamestown campus, combining inpatient and offender treatment capacity into a consolidated facility.
The Department of Health and Human Services outlined preliminary plans and cost estimates for a new state psychiatric hospital on the Jamestown campus to the House Appropriations Committee.
Pam Sagness, executive director of behavioral health for HHS, said the department used the $12.5 million appropriated last session for predesign and schematic work and contracted with JLG Architects and Architecture Plus, a firm with experience in public psychiatric hospital design.
“We have plans that are developed for 165 bed hospital. That includes a 125 inpatient beds and then 40 beds for the offender treatment program,” Sagness said, describing the facility layout and noting the offender treatment beds are for civilly committed offenders currently treated at the state hospital.
Why it matters: Lawmakers told the committee they view a replacement hospital as a priority with long-term implications for care capacity, building efficiency and workforce consolidation. The current campus operates services in multiple buildings, and HHS said the new design will consolidate clinical space to improve operations and staffing.
Project details and costs: Sagness said the design team reviewed seven design options and selected a lower-cost option after weighing clinical standards and workforce realities. The proposed site is across the street from the current hospital grounds on a parcel with a visual separation from the existing campus, and the plan would reduce overall footprint from roughly 500,000 square feet to about 300,000 square feet of consolidated space.
“The proposed budget, or where the project is today is 332,000,000,” she said.
Sagness also noted the planning work included public stakeholder meetings, meetings with legislators and an owner’s representative and construction management procurement. Committee members asked about medical services at the new facility; Sagness said the hospital would include an on-site clinic, lab, x-ray and a contracted dentist to provide as many medical services in-house as possible.
Next steps: HHS said it will provide additional design information, option comparisons and more detailed cost estimates during section hearings. Lawmakers signaled the project will be a high-priority capital request in coming budget debates.
Ending: Sagness and other HHS officials said they will return with more detailed cost breakdowns and operational planning documents in future briefings and that planning work completed to date supports a 165-bed replacement on or adjacent to the existing Jamestown campus.
