At the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce 100th Annual Meeting held on January 30, 2019, Lakes Region Mental Health Center was one of several local businesses that received recognition for their efforts toward revitalizing an existing facility and supporting local economic growth in the Laconia downtown area. LRMHC was presented with the Golden Trowel Award!
Lakes Region Mental Health Center (LRMHC), formerly known as Genesis Behavioral Health purchased the former HealthLink building in downtown Laconia so that the organization could consolidate operations from two buildings currently owned and two rental locations in Laconia into a single facility. The goals were to improve patient care; create operational/financial efficiencies for sustainability; and strategically position LRMHC for opportunities to expand services to better meet community needs. This project will transform mental health services in the Lakes Region, strengthening a critical system of care for over 4,000 patients and the community.
The agency needed to expand its facilities to keep pace with the increasing demand for mental health services. The need for mental health care and substance use disorder treatment is growing rapidly and increased space and privacy to serve patients was essential. Consequently, the need to find more adequate space was urgent.
The consolidation of LRMHC’s multiple Laconia locations into one facility helps the organization achieve the following goals:
- Improve patient care,
- Increase access to care as the downtown location is convenient for many patients,
- Create operational/financial efficiencies for sustainability,
- Strategically positions LRMHC for opportunities to expand services to better meet community needs, including additional access to integrated health care services,
- Develop more effective private-public partnerships between LRMHC and its stakeholders and
- community partners, and
- Increase organizational visibility and help raise public awareness of the significant need for mental health services in the Lakes Region.
Accepting the award on behalf of LRMHC was Jannine Sutcliffe (pictured front row, 2nd from left)), LRMHC Board President and Maggie Pritchard, LRMHC CEO.
