Holand Completes VA Behavioral Unit

The U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs' new Behavioral Medicine Building opened this fall on the grounds of the VA Medical Center in Marion, recently completed by Holland Construction Services, Inc. and Project Management Solutions Group (PMSG).

The new 17,400-square-foot, freestanding building houses up to 14 bedrooms split in private and semi-private configurations; a large day room for group gatherings; additional patient rooms for education and therapy; a laundry area and large kitchen, as well as staff and administration offices. A central courtyard provides a light and airy outdoor patio. The structure's interior woodwork, ceramic tile flooring and walls and decorative stone two-sided gas fireplace creates a welcoming atmosphere.

Paul Gansauer, Holland's project manager on the job, said, "We were able to provide the Veteran's Administration significant value engineering and cost reductions during the course of the project," Gansauer said. "And our superintendent, Steve Rapp, was on site, making sure the job ran smoothly, working through challenges and insuring sub contractors worked as a team." Value engineering initiatives included replacement of portions of the exterior masonry with EIFS in an attractive blend, and revision of roof line and materials, allowing significant savings that were utilized for additional site work.

"It was a good project and a worthwhile cause knowing that the facility will help veterans coming back from tours of duty," Gansauer said.

N.K. Bhandari, Consulting Engineers P.C. of Syracuse, N.Y. provided architectural services on the $5.7 million project.

Behavioral Medicine services at Marion include consultation, evaluation and treatment for a variety of issues that can impact emotional well-being. The Veteran's Administration Medical Center's health care system in Marion provides care to nearly 44,000 veterans each year in Southern Illinois, Southwestern Indiana, and Northwest Kentucky.

Project Management Solutions Group, led by Mike Ward, is a service-disabled veteran-owned company headquartered in downtown St. Louis. PMSG manages projects and specializes in construction, health care, business operations, supply chain management, information technology, real estate development and telecommunications.

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