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Memphis Mental
Health Institute A Look at the NEW Memphis Mental Health Institute
“Memphis and Shelby County are blessed with a wide range of institutions dedicated to serving the health needs of people in West Tennessee. Thanks to the creative thinking and collaborative approach, West Tennessee will soon benefit from a new, state-of-the-art mental health institute,” said Governor Bredesen.
“The new building will remain in Midtown because we want to maintain our inner-city presence. In fact, with historically strong ties to both UT and The MED, the new design will include a corridor connecting The MED and the MMHI. It was important to be near The MED because we regularly need access to their medical services,” says Chief Executive Officer Ventura. Unlike the old building which opened in 1962, the new
facility will be state-of-the-art, meeting new building and earthquake
codes. Designed by local firm TRO, the facility will have a more therapeutic
atmosphere and a layout with 75 beds divided between three units along
with an additional unit specifically dedicated to psychosocial rehabilitation
programming, according to Chief Executive Officer Ventura. Turner Construction
Company has been hired to build the new facility. Cost of the project
is estimated at approximately $25 to $30 million and is projected to be
complete by September of 2007. |
The
official groundbreaking for the new Memphis Mental Health Institute (MMHI)
took place on April 27, 2006. Governor Phil Bredesen, Shelby County Mayor
A.C. Wharton, and the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental
Disabilities (TDMHDD) Commissioner, Virginia Trotter Betts hosted the
ceremony. The Chief Officer of MMHI, N. Lawrence Ventura; the Executive
Director of the Memphis Chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally
Ill, Bradley Cobb, along with many other distinguished guests attended
this exciting event. The100,000 square-foot facility is located on Court
Street in the Memphis Medical District on the site of the former UT-Bowld
and Dobbs buildings. 
The
project is the result of collaboration among the State of Tennessee/Memphis
Mental Health Institute, Methodist Healthcare System, the Regional Medical
Center in Memphis (The MED), University of Tennessee (UT) Health Science
Center, and Shelby County government.
“We
are extremely excited about the new building that will not only improve
acute mental health service in Memphis and Shelby County, but also health
care and health professions’ education. This project is the result
of hard work and partnerships among many dedicated individuals, with a
special thank you to Deputy Commissioner Joe Carobene who facilitated
this project. I am grateful to be a part of such a successful collaboration,”
stated Commissioner Trotter Betts. 