A closer look inside Gundersen’s Inpatient Behavioral Health facility

Gundersen Health System recently added four inpatient beds to the La Crosse hospital’s Behavioral Health Unit, responding to critical community needs underscored by the 2024 Compass Now Report and further highlighted with the recent closures — and related loss of mental health services — of a hospital and clinic in western Wisconsin.

After sharing the news about the additional beds, Gundersen’s Behavioral Health team is now offering a closer look at their patient care facility, expanding on how its spaces and programs are designed to optimize healing and put the patient first. 

Designed with healing and tranquility in mind 

Gundersen La Crosse Hospital’s state-of-the-art Inpatient Behavioral Health facility is uniquely and thoughtfully designed with utmost regard for patient safety. But even with adhering to strict safety standards, the design of each patient room is thoughtfully curated to feel warm, inviting and soothing for patients.

“All patient care areas are primarily designed and furnished with safety and healing in mind,” says Carly Klunder, Gundersen La Crosse Hospital’s Inpatient Behavioral Health clinical manager. “We’ve prioritized making our space feel comfortable and home-like, so we can be safety-conscious without feeling or looking like an institution.” 

Klunder explains that years ago, the only safety-approved furniture for mental healthcare facilities were the same models also used in jails and prisons. She’s glad that with time and an increased understanding of mental healthcare, more aesthetically appealing and comfortable options have been developed for patient use. 

“When designing the facility back in 2013, we wanted to focus on letting in natural light, incorporating calming colors and selecting high-quality furniture that would reduce the risk of injuries for patients experiencing severe crises,” says Klunder. 

During the design process, former Behavioral Health patients and their families were invited to participate and make recommendations to the team, keeping the focus on real-life crisis scenarios and patient needs with each decision made.

“They shared what they personally found to be the best, most healing design elements, picked out color swatches and advised on other things that helped aid our decisions,” says Klunder. “We were so grateful for the thoughtful input they had based on their own lived experiences.” 

Klunder adds that with grant support provided by the Gundersen Medical Foundation, several important upgrades and enhancements were able to be made to the facility, including exercise equipment for incorporating fitness into patient recovery programs and a sensory room in the adolescent unit where patients use various tools to explore their senses, providing a healthy outlet for emotion regulation. 

“Both of these grant-funded areas have been fantastic, unique additions to the well-rounded care and therapeutic experiences we can offer patients, thanks to community support,” says Klunder.

A bright future ahead for Gundersen Behavioral Health 

When asked about the future of Behavioral Health at Gundersen, Klunder revealed they are actively exploring additional models of care to best meet the needs of all patients experiencing mental health crises.   

For more information on Gundersen’s Behavioral Health services, visit Behavioral Health | Gundersen Health System.