November 23, 2021
We are pleased to announce a series of new hires, promotions, employee recognition, project-related events and news, and community connections.
New Hires
Susan DeForrest |
Ben Patane |
Noelle Swift |
Lily Polakiewicz |
Awards
Bowdoin College – Harpswell Student Apartments Receives 2 AIA New England Design Awards!
AIA New England Excellence in Architecture, Citation Award
AIA New England Excellence in Architecture, Best of Chapter Award
Community Connections
BBCH Open Golf TournamentOur team came out swinging at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital Open! Proceeds from the tournament contribute to The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center. |
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Pedaling for PaysonThe Lavallee Brensinger team pedaled for a great cause! This year Concord Hospital’s Pedaling 4 Payson raised more than $159,000 helping 137 patients battling cancer. |
New Hampshire CTE Summer Learning Series Convening
In The News
Children in Crisis Need More Than Emergency Departments Can Offer
In June of 2021, 33 children and adolescents experiencing a mental health crisis were boarding in NH emergency departments (ED).* The state of their condition has created safety concerns within their own homes and transferring to an available child-focused inpatient psychiatric bed can take weeks or longer. A child whose world is out of proportion requires a thoughtfully designed space that encourages a sense of emotional and physical safety.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in 6 youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year. 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10-34.
The ongoing surge of pediatric patients seeking care within emergency departments shines a light on the fact that EDs lack the infrastructure to provide the specialized care children in crisis require. Extended waiting periods can also hinder the recovery process due to additional stress and unknown care plans. More specialized child and adolescent psychiatric units will enable patients to access the care they need in a safe and age-appropriate environment.
*National Association of Mental Illness. (n.d.). Mental Health by the Numbers. Nami.Org. Retrieved June 24, 2021, from https://nami.org/mhstats