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Wednesday, September 27, 2006
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County polled on BRHSC future CROW WING COUNTY BOARD Senior Reporter Most Crow Wing County residents surveyed about future uses of Brainerd Regional Human Services Center want to see the campus continue to serve health-care needs.
Crow Wing County commissioners Tuesday examined the preliminary survey results. A complete report is expected Oct. 12 during a public meeting about the BRHSC. At issue is what will become of the Brainerd campus, which is about 80 acres and includes 14 main buildings, as the state continues its long-term plan to move services out of the large hospital setting.
In 1999, the people who were the state's last developmentally disabled, were placed in community settings. Since then, the BRHSC has served people with mental illnesses, traumatic brain injuries and other clients. Federal funding is now being provided to private third-parties that run smaller 16-bed psychiatric hospitals in separate area cities.
Commissioner Terry Sluss, who serves on the BRHSC Task Force, said concepts of potential uses will be available for public consideration at the Oct. 12 meeting.
What's next?
Potential uses for the Brainerd Regional Human Services Center property will be discussed at a public meeting from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 12 in the gymnasium of Building 4 on the BRHSC campus in southeast Brainerd off Highway 18.
The Crow Wing County Web site - www.co.crow-wing.mn.us - has information regarding the master planning process for BRHSC and its future use.
The Web site offers both information from an earlier open house presentation about the campus and an opportunity to provide written feedback.
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A public opinion survey was sent to a randomly selected 3,500 county residents in August. And 602 completed surveys were returned. Of survey participants 79 percent were outside Brainerd and Baxter and many, 69 percent, have lived in Crow Wing County for more than 20 years.
Fifty-six percent of survey respondents had visited the campus and 5 percent either worked there or had a member of their household working there. There was overwhelming support - at 89 percent - for looking for new uses for the campus. The most popular use involved health care at 82 percent, which was followed by government use at 67 percent and correctional/detention uses at 59 percent.
Those taking part in the survey, 55 percent, preferred no demolition of existing buildings. If the site is reused and buildings torn down, 49 percent of respondents favored park or recreational use, 44 percent favored business or retail development, 45 percent favored mixed use development, 37 percent favored residential development and 37 percent favored industrial development.
The campus has been home to the Veterans Outpatient Medical Clinic, Woodhaven services for seniors, commercial laundry, Brainerd School District's Minnesota Learning Center, adolescent services and adult chemical dependency, Crow Wing County Jail Annex, Central Minnesota Juvenile Center and Crow Wing County Detox Center, along with services for the mentally ill and the Minnesota Neurorehabilitation Hospital for patients with traumatic brain injuries.
Crow Wing County is looking at ways to retain jobs and services. Sluss said consultants are in direct contact with the VA and hope to keep the VA clinic and even expand those services here.
In addition, Sluss said work is ongoing trying to save the laundry services. Sluss said the Department of Corrections wants to move the laundry equipment to Moose Lake so it can be used for spare parts. But Sluss said the laundry services have a wider community impact as St. Joseph's Medical Center uses the service. The hospital is required to have up to seven days of clean linens available, Sluss said, adding St. Joseph's has storage room for two days and the BRHSC provides the rest at this point.
RENEE RICHARDSON can be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
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