Inpatient Behavioral Health

Michuda Construction successfully delivered Phase 1 of Riverside Healthcare’s multi-phase inpatient behavioral health renovation, transforming approximately 15,000 square feet of existing hospital space into a modern adult behavioral health unit designed around patient safety, dignity, and healing.

Completed within an active hospital environment, the full gut renovation created private patient rooms, multi-purpose spaces, and dedicated staff areas while incorporating behavioral health-specific safety requirements throughout the unit. The new environment combines durable healthcare infrastructure with thoughtfully designed patient spaces, calming finishes, and specialized lighting to support a therapeutic care environment.

The project demonstrates Michuda Construction’s expertise in behavioral health construction and complex healthcare renovation, where infection control, life safety, security, occupied-space logistics, and uninterrupted hospital operations must remain priorities throughout construction.

PROJECT SCOPE

Serving as Construction Manager at Risk, Michuda Construction completed the approximately 15,000-square-foot full gut renovation of existing second-floor hospital space to create Riverside Healthcare’s new adult inpatient behavioral health unit.

The project required extensive coordination of architectural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, life-safety, and behavioral health-specific systems within an active healthcare environment. Construction was carefully coordinated with Riverside Healthcare’s facilities, infection control, security, clinical, and behavioral health teams to protect ongoing hospital operations.

Key Elements of the Project:

Full Gut Renovation – Comprehensive demolition and reconstruction of approximately 15,000 square feet of existing hospital space into a purpose-built adult inpatient behavioral health environment.

Patient Rooms & Clinical Spaces – Constructed new patient rooms and supporting clinical spaces designed to promote patient safety, dignity, comfort, and efficient care delivery.

Behavioral Health Safety – Integrated ligature-resistant and behavioral health-specific safety requirements into architectural components, fixtures, hardware, ceilings, finishes, and building systems.

Multi-Purpose & Therapeutic Spaces – Created shared spaces supporting patient activities, treatment, interaction, and therapeutic programming.

Staff & Support Areas – Delivered dedicated staff and clinical support spaces designed to support visibility, workflow, security, and efficient unit operations.

MEP & Life-Safety Infrastructure – Coordinated extensive mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and life-safety improvements required to support the completely renovated inpatient unit.

Occupied Hospital Construction – Executed construction within an operational healthcare environment using controlled access, temporary separations, infection-control procedures, and close coordination with hospital operations.

CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS

Occupied Healthcare Construction

Challenge: Phase 1 was constructed within an active hospital environment where adjacent healthcare operations needed to remain functional throughout construction.

Solution: Michuda implemented disciplined construction phasing, controlled access, site containment, infection-control procedures, temporary separations, and interim life-safety measures. Continuous coordination with Riverside’s clinical, facilities, security, and behavioral health teams allowed construction activities to progress while protecting patients, staff, and ongoing hospital operations

Behavioral Health Safety Requirements

Challenge: Inpatient behavioral health construction requires heightened attention to the built environment. Architectural components, fixtures, hardware, finishes, and building systems must address behavioral health safety risks while remaining durable and maintainable for long-term hospital operations.

Solution: Michuda coordinated behavioral health and ligature-resistant requirements throughout the renovated unit, working closely with the project team to integrate safety considerations into architectural details, building systems, fixtures, hardware, and finishes.

Integrating a Therapeutic Environment With Hospital Infrastructure

Challenge: The new unit needed to satisfy demanding healthcare, security, and life-safety requirements while creating an environment that supports patient dignity and behavioral health treatment.

Solution: The completed space combines robust healthcare infrastructure with private patient accommodations, multi-purpose spaces, calming interior environments, and specialized lighting designed to support a safer, more therapeutic patient experience.

VALUE-ADDED HIGHLIGHTS

Behavioral Health Construction Expertise – The project demonstrates Michuda Construction’s ability to execute specialized inpatient behavioral health renovations where patient safety, ligature resistance, security, life safety, and clinical operations must be considered throughout construction.

Occupied Hospital Expertise – Construction was executed within an active healthcare environment using disciplined infection control, site containment, access management, and coordination strategies designed to protect ongoing hospital operations.

Patient-Centered Environment – The completed unit balances behavioral health safety requirements with spaces designed to promote patient dignity, comfort, and healing.

Complex Healthcare Coordination – Close collaboration between Michuda Construction, Riverside Healthcare, Eckenhoff Saunders, TLC Engineering, trade partners, and hospital stakeholders enabled architectural and infrastructure systems to be integrated within a highly specialized clinical environment.

Foundation for Riverside’s Behavioral Health Modernization – Phase 1 represents a major milestone in Riverside Healthcare’s broader multi-phase investment in modernizing inpatient behavioral health care and expanding access to specialized behavioral health services.