The Memorial Family Practices Behavioral Health Department at Artesia General Hospital will be relocated to receive a new wing at the hospital! Planning for the remodeled wing is complete, and the floor plans and the materials for the department were showcased on April 19th at the Town Hall meeting hosted by Artesia General at the Artesia Public School Administration Building. According to the floor plan, the department will be located on the southeast southwest side of the hospital building which is the location of the old DaVita Dialysis Center, and will have its own private entrance. Access to the wing will be through the clinic entrance to Memorial Family Practice. The design for the new wing is functional yet elegant. Many of the products to be used in construction are from recycled materials and are sourced from New Mexico based wholesalers.  

The Behavioral Health Center planning and construction begins, “the future of Artesia in terms of the hospital’s master plan,” says Dr. Salgado, CEO, who opened the town hall meeting. For years, the Behavioral Health team, Ron Haugen, DNP, and Honey Covin-Weeks, RN, MSN and Carlos Olivas, MSN, operated in tight quarters; however, with this new center, and the addition of Carlos Olivas, NP, the team will better serve the community in a space that shows the AGH’s commitment to behavioral and mental health services. 

In terms of the exam room concepts, the planning team, led by Project Manager, Jeremy Kern, prioritized privacy by insulating rooms from sounds and made sure to provide ample space for patients and providers to feel comfortable. The walls will be adorned with murals, and the whole feel of the new wing will promote a sense of ease. rendering-behavioral health