Jerry swanson photography

Peter kerze photography
Located at the headwaters of the Mississippi River, Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital is a one-story, 64-bed replacement hospital with an integrated 50-physician clinic on a new rural campus in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. This visionary client’s goal was to create a healing destination at its wooded 70-acre site; one that would support its mission of seamless care and patient-centered excellence. Grand Itasca leadership, physicians, staff, community members, and design professionals formed a collaborative team to design an entirely new healing experience for the community.
Jerry swanson photography

The winding entry drive initiates the arrival experience offering views framed by native tall grasses and groves of trees. A soft light glowing from atop a wooden tower beacon welcomes evening visitors. The design palette draws from the red taconite ore, wood, rocks, and plants indigenous to the region. Building form, color, and texture are reflective of the community’s logging, farming, and paper mill history.

Following principles of evidence-based design, numerous windows provide dramatic views, connecting patients and caregivers to the healing elements of nature. Guests are made comfortable in private inpatient rooms with sleeping accommodations for families, and family lounges have direct access to the exterior courtyards.
Peter kerze photography

Project category: New construction (completed December 2005)

Chief administrator: Steve Feltman, Sr. VP Finance and Operations; CFO, (218) 999-1459

Firm: Kahler Slater Architects, Inc., (414) 290-3781

Design team: Stephen Steen, AIA, Principal, Project Manager; Kathy Schnuck, AIA, Principal, Operational Redesign Planner; EJ Herr, Associate, Planner/Experience Planner; Jessica Steeber, ASID, Associate, Healing Experiences Interior Designer; Erv Schloemer, Associate, Project Architect/CA; Marion Clendenen-Acosta, Associate, Project Architect

Photography: Jerry Swanson Photography; Peter Kerze Photography;

Illustration: Anderson Illustration Associates, Inc.

Total building area (sq. ft.): 185,500

Construction cost/sq. ft.: $216

Total construction cost (excluding land): $40,000,000

Health and wellness services focus on mind, body, and spirit and are organized around two main public circulation spines. The entry gallery at the multispecialty clinic features a fireplace, water feature, café, and access to the Wellness Center where community classes are offered. The main corridor provides access to inpatient care units, Acute Rehabilitation (where patient recovery outperforms the national average), Diagnostics, Surgery, the gift shop, and a meditation room, and offers views of a grand oak tree and the cafeteria’s dining patio.

Anderson illustration associates, inc.

Anderson illustration associates, inc.
Grand Itasca received a $20 million grant from the Blandin Foundation to support innovation in the project. Highlights include the consolidation of critical care nursing in a unique model that colocates Emergency and Intensive Care services; the creation of a fully integrated delivery system; and contiguous inpatient care units promoting staffing flexibility. Decentralized nursing also brings staff closer to patients, enhancing communication and productivity. The latest in technology is also present, including a 64-slice CT scanner, new MRI, PACS, and digital radiography equipment.

Completed in December 2005, the Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital is well integrated into its site. The master plan includes future zones for wellness and medical profession education programs, and development of continuum-of-care facilities.