Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
BEDFORD – The former Ascension St. Vincent Dunn Hospital, vacant since December 2022, will become the home of the Indiana Center for Recovery in spring of 2024.
Haven Health Management, a national provider of addiction and mental health services, acquired the building in November.
The new facility, spanning 184,000 square feet, is the second hospital acquisition by
ICFR in the last two years.
Cheyenne Riker, chief counsel for Haven Health Management, said initial services offered at Indiana Center for Recovery’s Bedford facility will be inpatient only and include substance use disorder treatment and mental health treatment.
As renovations are completed on other floors, the Indiana Center for Recovery will add its other programs into the building.
“We hope to be completely open on all five floors in the next 12 to 18 months,” Riker said.
A staff of 40-50 people will be needed in the first quarter of 2024. Once the facility is at program capacity, Riker said the center will have about 200 employees.
“We have a staffing plan together. Generally speaking, we pay above market rates. We’re looking for about 10 registered nurses, as well as nurse practitioners, dietary services and behavioral health techs. It’s a whole range of employee slots,” he said.
With the building occupying such a large footprint in the 23rd Street neighborhood off Mitchell Road, Bedford Mayor Sam Craig is glad to see it have a new occupant.
“We’re pleased that the building has been purchased and we have a business that’s going to come in and occupy and run the facility,” Craig said. “We anticipate this will be a benefit for our community and our citizens.”
The Bedford clinic is the ninth Indiana Center for Recovery operated by Haven Health in the state. Other locations are in Bloomington, Mishawaka, Jeffersonville, Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Lafayette, Merrillville and Carmel.
Addiction crisis in Indiana
Substance use disorder and addiction continue to have a devastating effect in Indiana.
Nearly one in 12 Hoosiers, almost a half million people, meet the criteria for having a substance use disorder, according to an Indiana University fact sheet on addiction.
Drug addiction facts from IU:
- Drug overdoses in Indiana have nearly doubled since 2010, growing from 923 to 1,809 in 2017.
- Approximately 4,000 Hoosiers have died from opioids in the last decade.
- Indiana’s drug-induced mortality rate quadrupled between 2000 and 2014.
- More Hoosiers now die from drug overdoses than car crashes.
According to the State Department of Health, Indiana had the 19th highest overdose death rate in the U.S. in 2019.
“We all know that this is a serious issue for a lot of communities. Having this available for our citizens and community should be a positive for our community,” added Craig.
Over the past 15 years, opioid use has cost the state more than $43 billion in direct and indirect costs. The figure in 2017 was $4.3 billion, nearly $11 million a day. Non-lethal opioid overdoses cost over $224 million in hospitalization costs in 2016 alone, with an additional $297 million in other opioid-related hospital stays.
Demand for services
Riker said there’s a demand for services in the Bedford area and many drug treatment and mental health centers have wait lists. After considering other southern Indiana locations, Bedford was a logical choice.
“Bedford being in south central Indiana, we felt it could cover a broader geographical area,” he said. “This happened to be a building that was well maintained and was nearly move-in ready and that was another reason to locate in Bedford.”
The goal for each patient treated at the Indiana Center for Recovery is long-term recovery.
Every patient meets with a case manager to work with him/her on personal goals.
“When it’s time for them to move out into the community, the case managers help them with employment, preparing them for interviews and writing resumes so when they leave our inpatient program, they’re squared away to get employment,” Riker said. “Our ultimate goal is for them to be in sustained recovery.”
Haven Health, based in Florida, will operate the facility under the name of the Indiana Center for Recovery at 1600 23rd St. The company acquired the former hospital and other properties for $1 million. Haven Health also has facilities in Massachusetts, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Arkansas.
About Indiana Center for Recovery
Since 2016, the center has provided treatment for those struggling with addiction and co-occurring mental health issues.
The centers are recognized for quality care, holding certifications from The Joint Commission and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). It also has the distinction of being named by Newsweek as one of America’s Best Addiction Treatment Centers for three consecutive years.
Indiana Center For Recovery includes psychiatric inpatient services among its treatment
options. To learn more about their services and facilities, visit
https://treatmentindiana.com/
History of property
Dunn Memorial Hospital, as it was known for many years, had its beginnings in 1904 when it was established as the Lawrence Hospital. The hospital moved to the 23rd Street location and, following a gift of $15,000 from Moses Fell Dunn, the hospital was expanded. In 1924, it was named Dunn Memorial Hospital.
Several expansions took place over the years as more health services were added, that included emergency department, radiology, birthing center, cardiac care, dialysis, home health care and physical therapy.
In 2006, Dunn became a 25-bed critical access hospital. In 2010, it was acquired by St. Vincent Health and renamed St. Vincent Dunn Hospital. Ascension, its parent company, was added to its name in 2018.