A NEW $30 million mental hospital in Mount Eliza has “salutogenic design principles” that creates “environments to support health and wellbeing rather than simply treating illness”.
The design of the 60-bed Avive Clinic Mornington Peninsula in St Johns Lane recognises “the connection between a person’s health and their physical surroundings”, Avive Health co-founder and co-CEO Mark Sweeney said. Avive, which describes itself as a progressive, privately-owned company, was founded by Sweeney and co-CEO, Greg Procter and partnered with Northwest Healthcare Properties (“Northwest”) through its New Zealand stock exchange-listed Vital Healthcare Property Trust as property owner and partner. Kingdom Projects built the hospital which was designed by HSPC Health Architects.
The hospital says it has “embraced the latest health design principles, technology-integrated care and trauma-aware programs intended to reinvigorate mental health services while providing better outcomes for patients”. Recovery choices for patients offer “flexible pathways and access to clinical teams and psychiatrists”.
The “boutique hotel-like environment” has 60 single patient rooms with ensuites, group and art therapy rooms, psychiatrists’ consulting suites, a fitness studio and gymnasium and landscaped outdoor retreat areas. It provides inpatient treatment, day patient programs and outpatient consultations for people living with alcohol use disorders, anxiety disorders, depression and mood disorders, early life, and adult trauma, including defence and emergency first responders within a trauma-aware culture and facility that ensures both clinical and non-clinical staff can positively impact each patient’s recovery journey”.
Procter said the hospital was a “game-changer” for the peninsula. “Avive Health is focused on delivering better patient experiences and outcomes, while delivering healthcare differently and embracing the latest technology from across the globe,” he said. “We’re focused on delivering evidenced-based services throughout a person’s entire mental health and wellness journey, so each of our streamed programs – be it anxiety and mood, dual diagnosis, intensive trauma processing, or mind and body – include comprehensive discharge and aftercare planning to support ongoing recovery.
“Investment in technology across our business, including in our hospitals is a key point of difference. Our electronic patient tablets alone are already supporting improved outcomes, specific to what each of our patients need. “Our clinical team can access and share patient treatment information, complete rounding, capture real-time patient input and adjust care during a hospital stay; whilst our patients have greater control over their environment and access to information resources, therapy programs and streaming platforms – to name just a few.”
Sweeney said Avive had also “invested heavily” in such building technologies and management systems as circadian rhythm lighting, true presence sensors, security and access control technology. The hospital’s research-backed salutogenic design principles “focused on creating environments to support health and wellbeing rather than simply treating illness”. Interior designs supported the “emotional and spiritual states of patients, as well as integrating indoors and out through nature, landscaping, and natural light”.
First published in the Mornington News – 14th May 2024
