Veterans and staff at VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS) can now enjoy enhanced amenities and access to state-of-the-art health care services and simulation training.
On Jan. 23, TVHS held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the 37,000-square-foot space, which provides Veterans with access to brand-new facilities and health services, along with cutting-edge technology to enhance VA employee education.
Originally opened in 1959, building 107 featured a gymnasium, movie theater, and an indoor pool for long-term inpatients. As modern medicine advanced and inpatients recovered more quickly, the use of these enrichment activities declined, resulting in the space being slowly transformed for other clinical needs.
In 2021, TVHS leadership and capital planning laid the groundwork for redesigning and renovating building 107 to better meet the needs of the growing middle Tennessee Veteran population. By 2024, the plans were finalized, and construction commenced.
More than a year later, the building now includes a variety of innovative spaces for holistic healing, including music therapy, creative arts, adaptive sports, kinesiotherapy, and vibroacoustic therapy, along with clinical enrichment offerings such as simulation labs and computer labs.
The new creative arts, music therapy, and adaptive sports spaces in building 107 support VA’s Whole Health initiative. This initiative encourages Veterans to take charge of their health through activities that are meaningful to them.
“The building 107 renovation has enhanced our ability to deliver recreation therapy programs and expand our innovative patient care,” said Dr. Danielle Lauber, Chief of TVHS’ Recreational Therapy.
The new music therapy and creative arts spaces provide dedicated environments that encourage Veterans to feel comfortable and express their creativity. Additionally, the recreation therapy area allows Veterans to engage with adaptive sports and recreation equipment, fostering a sense of competency, independence, and community, regardless of their physical or mental challenges.
An essential new feature of building 107 is the state-of-the-art simulation lab. This facility offers dedicated space for medical professionals to learn and train in a controlled environment, allowing them to continually
develop their skills and education. The training rooms are linked to a central monitoring room, enabling instructors to control mannequins and record training sessions for playback and review.
"The simulation lab is a dedicated space where we will be able to perform simulation training with our health care providers just like they're in a clinic space,” said Dr. Bridget Brozyna, TVHS Interim Executive Director. “Evidence shows that simulation training is the next best thing to being in a patient room. We want to provide that kind of training and have that high fidelity experience for our employees.”
Alvin C. York VA Medical Center has previously hosted simulation training. Still, the new facility offers classrooms and resources to support regular, effective classes that improve educational outcomes and patient care experiences.
“We've been performing simulation training for years. We just have not had adequate space for all of the classes that we're going to be able to teach in this space. We're really excited about having a space where staff can refine their skills. Where staff can potentially make a mistake in a safe space and learn from that to improve our overall patient care,” said Brozyna.
Kinesiotherapy, or movement therapy, is another vital addition to the care provided in building 107. This new, spacious location allows Veterans to use various machines and exercises to enhance their recovery.
“Our patients are just so grateful to be out of the smaller room,” said Tammy Roberts, a kinesiotherapist with TVHS. “The Veterans who have seen the space this week and utilized it are very pleased to be in an open space and able to move around.”
The new kinesiotherapy area offers services such as the issuance of ambulatory aids, gait training, supervised walking programs for individuals with peripheral arterial disease, amputee training, and more.
Since building 107 opened in 1959, it has cared for countless Veterans. With the new renovations, it will provide world-class care to many more.
“Thank you to everybody involved in making the space possible. I want to thank you, all of you, who contributed to this new building, because this will be your legacy that will stand for a very, very long time,” said Brozyna.