Psychiatry back on campus in renovated Poynter Hall

The UNMC Department of Psychiatry is back at home on campus.

After 13 years off the main UNMC campus, the department will move this week into the newly renovated Poynter Hall and the staff will start to see patients in the updated facility on Friday.

“We are thrilled to be returning to campus,” said Steve Wengel, M.D., professor and chairman of the department. “By being back on campus, it will greatly enhance our visibility and allow us to better collaborate with clinicians and researchers in other departments. We couldn’t be more excited.”

Oldest building gets facelift

Constructed in 1912, Poynter Hall is the oldest building on the UNMC campus. Renovation of the six-story facility was made possible by LB605, a bill passed by the Nebraska Legislature in 2006 allocating $7 million to the project.

The renovation included updating obsolete mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems, as well as bringing the building into compliance with current building, fire, safety, and energy codes as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The floor plan

Poynter Hall is on the southwest corner of 42nd and Dewey streets. Sixteen psychiatry faculty and 31 staff members will move into the building, which features a new entrance on the east side. The entrance brings people into the building on the second floor.

Here’s a breakdown of the psychiatry space in the building:

• 2nd floor — 42nd Street entrance;
  
• 3rd floor — research/education space;
  
• 4th floor — administrative offices;
  
• 5th floor — clinical space; and
  
• 6th floor — faculty offices.

Expanded capabilities

The building will provide a superior educational experience for students and resident physicians, Dr. Wengel said. It will feature five exam rooms with video capabilities as well as a lounge for residents with computer study space.

The video capabilities will allow the department to expand its tele-psychiatry program with mental health patients in rural Nebraska, he said.

Clinic hours

The renovated facility will be open to patients from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

The department’s geriatric psychiatrists will continue to work at the Home Instead Center for Successful Aging, Dr. Wengel said.