Work begun on new Psychiatric Hospital.

• Position: Brief Article

Alaska Go v. Tony Knowles, Health Land Social Services Commissioner Jay Livey, legislators and officials from Alaska Psychiatric Institute and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority participated in a groundbreaking ceremony recently at the construction site in Anchorage for the replacement facility for Alaska's only public psychiatric hospital. The 108,000-square-foot facility, with 72-bed, capacity, will be constructed at a total cost of $41.7 million, and completed in early 2005.

"It's been a long time coming, and it's great to finally turn some dirt," Knowles said. "This project is one of the most important steps ever taken to give Alaskans the best mental health care-a new, modern, more efficient psychiatric hospital."

"With this symbolic groundbreaking, we culminate a 15-year process to rep]lace Alaska's only state psychiatric hospital-a foundational component of our mental health system," Livey said. "Although it is a 'bricks and mortar' facility, the services provided there represent the...