Pine Tree Camp begins construction on new Wellness Center
Friday, March 7, 2008
NEWS
When campers arrive at North Pond in June, Pine Tree Camp will look a bit different. A new Wellness Center will be the first building guests see as they drive down Pine Tree Camp’s gravel road.
The new building will serve as a welcome center, house the infirmary and Pine Tree Camp’s administrative offices. According to Anne Marsh, Executive Director of Pine Tree Society, the new building was essential for a variety of reasons.
“Camper care is of the greatest importance at Pine Tree Camp,” said Marsh. “It was evident that our old infirmary was in need of updating. This building not only meets that goal, but also allows two important functions at Pine Tree Camp - medical and administrative - to be housed together, allowing for better communication and coordination.”
The new building’s location will naturally add to the security of Pine Tree Camp. The location, right along camp’s entrance, ensures that all visitors will be greeted and screened. The location also ensures that emergency vehicles can access the infirmary easily and quickly.
The new fully accessible building will meet the latest ADA requirements. It will be fully insulated and offer central air conditioning, which according to Dawn Willard-Robinson, Pine Tree Camp’s Director of Program Management, has become so important in recent years.
“We’re serving more and more campers who are medically fragile,” said Willard-Robinson. “Often times these campers are unable to regulate their body temperature so having a place with air conditioning is absolutely essential. There have been years where we had to call campers and ask that they not come until the heat breaks. We just didn’t have the facility to keep them safe.”
The infirmary itself will feature hospital grade materials, sufficient storage, more sick beds and an examination room, a far cry from the open studded, cramped building that used to house Pine Tree Camp’s medical staff.
The building will also house a generator, an important feature in emergency preparedness.
“The generator ensures that we are able to keep campers who use ventilators and feeding tubes safe in the case of a power outage,” said Willard-Robinson.
The Wellness Center is scheduled to be complete on June 15 and then it will be on to more projects.
“The Wellness Center is just one of several improvements we are planning to update at Pine Tree Camp’s facility,” said Marsh.
The new building will serve as a welcome center, house the infirmary and Pine Tree Camp’s administrative offices. According to Anne Marsh, Executive Director of Pine Tree Society, the new building was essential for a variety of reasons.
“Camper care is of the greatest importance at Pine Tree Camp,” said Marsh. “It was evident that our old infirmary was in need of updating. This building not only meets that goal, but also allows two important functions at Pine Tree Camp - medical and administrative - to be housed together, allowing for better communication and coordination.”
The new building’s location will naturally add to the security of Pine Tree Camp. The location, right along camp’s entrance, ensures that all visitors will be greeted and screened. The location also ensures that emergency vehicles can access the infirmary easily and quickly.
The new fully accessible building will meet the latest ADA requirements. It will be fully insulated and offer central air conditioning, which according to Dawn Willard-Robinson, Pine Tree Camp’s Director of Program Management, has become so important in recent years.
“We’re serving more and more campers who are medically fragile,” said Willard-Robinson. “Often times these campers are unable to regulate their body temperature so having a place with air conditioning is absolutely essential. There have been years where we had to call campers and ask that they not come until the heat breaks. We just didn’t have the facility to keep them safe.”
The infirmary itself will feature hospital grade materials, sufficient storage, more sick beds and an examination room, a far cry from the open studded, cramped building that used to house Pine Tree Camp’s medical staff.
The building will also house a generator, an important feature in emergency preparedness.
“The generator ensures that we are able to keep campers who use ventilators and feeding tubes safe in the case of a power outage,” said Willard-Robinson.
The Wellness Center is scheduled to be complete on June 15 and then it will be on to more projects.
“The Wellness Center is just one of several improvements we are planning to update at Pine Tree Camp’s facility,” said Marsh.
