February 24, 2005 Hovander House awarded grant from HealthPartners Innovative St. Paul facility has helped mentally ill for more than one year St. Paul, Minn. An innovative St. Paul-based residential living facility for people with mental illnesses has been awarded a $260,000 grant from HealthPartners. The grant will be used to help cover part of the program's 2004 operating loss. Hovander House is a short-term residential living facility and program for hospitalized patients who are clinically and physically stable but who require further support and assistance before returning to a community setting. Started in October 2003, the remodeled residence on Sherburne Ave. in St. Paul was designed to help individuals recovering from moderate to severe mental illness. Staffed by mental health professional and practitioners from Region Hospital, it can accommodate up to nine adults at a time. In the year since it opened, Hovander House has treated more than 150 patients, with an average length of stay of about 7.5 days. In addition to helping patients transition into the community, the facility has saved an estimated 528 non-acute hospital days. The timely discharge of patients ready to leave the inpatient setting, but awaiting housing, results in more efficient use of inpatient resources, according to Tom Geskermann, vice president, Regions Hospital Behavioral Health Services. One of those patients treated at Hovander House during its first year is Brian, a man in his mid-40s who lives independently. Brian stayed at Hovander House for a week this past fall while transitioning from a recent hospitalization back to his usual residence. He describes his stay at Hovander House as a "beautiful" experience. "I was pretty sick when I was there," he said, "but my time at Hovander House helped me improve to the point where I could manage much better again. The staff there is terrific and alert to patientsneeds." The additional availability of hospital psychiatric beds is important because it comes at a time when more and more Twin Cities residents with acute mental illness and chemical dependency are being transferred to hospitals in Greater Minnesota because of a lack of capacity in the metro. Overall, Minnesota hospitals with behavioral health programs have seen a 26 percent increase in hospitalizations from 1999 to 2002, according to a November 2004 report from the Minnesota Department of Health. "During our first year we have seen great results and have helped many patients transition back into the community," said Geskermann. "We also know that the program is helping capacity in the Twin Cities, especially the east metro. The challenge for Hovander House will be to find and establish consistent funding so that it can remain a viable option for care." Original funding for Hovander House came, in part, from a $300,000 capital grant from the Minnesota Community Foundation. HealthPartners also helped by bringing together providers, health plans, community leaders and local agencies to look at how to provide more and better transitional housing and supportive services for persons with mental health problems. Regions Hospital is a premier, full-service, private hospital providing outstanding medical care, with special programs in heart, women's care, cancer care, seniors' services, digestive care, behavioral health, surgery, burn, emergency and Level I trauma. Established in 1872, the hospital has served the Twin Cities and surrounding region for more than 130 years. Patients receive state-of-the-art care in an environment that promotes comfort and healing. The health professionals at Regions Hospital are involved in teaching and research focused on improving health and medical care. Regions Hospital is part of the HealthPartners family of health care organizations.
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