EVERETT, Wash., Feb. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On Broadway Avenue in Everett’s core, the future of behavioral health is taking shape. Phase II of Compass Health’s Broadway Campus Redevelopment is nearing completion, and soon the community will see the new 70,000-square-foot facility adorned with vibrant finishes, landscaping, and most notably, an official name: the Marc Healing Center.
For the purpose-built facility designed to meet the most intensive behavioral health needs of Northwest Washington, the name the Marc Healing Center reflects the impactful care that will take place within its walls and honors the dedicated professionals who will deliver it.
The focal point of the name, “Marc,” represents Marcelene Lowes, a long-standing Compass Health team member whose story epitomizes the heart and soul of the work that will happen at Phase II, making her a fitting namesake for the center.
“When we think about our new facility, the structure and design is important but ultimately, what makes the biggest difference are our team members who fill it every day. They are the connection point to care, to recovery, and to healing,” said Tom Sebastian, CEO of Compass Health. “Marcelene is a tremendous example of what that connection can look like, and what it can foster. In naming the building after her, we’re hoping to illuminate every person within our organization – past, present, and future – who embodies that same commitment.”
To arrive at the name the Marc Healing Center, Compass Health formed a committee of individuals from various departments across the organization who quickly determined that it should honor frontline team members. In discussions, Lowes – who is known to her colleagues and clients as “Marc” – rose to the forefront.
Lowes, a clinician for Compass Health’s Snohomish County Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), has had a remarkable journey with the organization – starting in a facility kitchen 40 years ago and quickly discovering her passion for IOP. She has dedicated her entire career to helping the community’s most vulnerable members, building decades-long relationships with clients and co-workers, and establishing herself as a trusted figure in their lives and someone they can always rely on.
Lowes’ story inspired the term “Healing Center,” as it powerfully conveys the transformative impact that quality intensive care can have, and it represents what the facility will offer to everyone who walks through its doors.
“Our clients are exceptional people,” Lowes said. “They may be facing significant challenges, but they don’t let that stop them from showing kindness and care. It’s a privilege to be someone who shows up for them in that same way – and is committed to helping them, no matter the circumstances. That commitment is shared across our organization and is what really allows us to leave such a meaningful mark on our clients’ lives. Sometimes all people need is for someone to hear and see them. At Compass Health, we’re here to do just that.”
Slated for completion in summer 2025, the Marc Healing Center will house several intensive behavioral health services, including a 16-bed evaluation and treatment unit (E&T); a 16-bed crisis triage center; intensive outpatient behavioral health services; and offices for crisis prevention, outreach and community engagement teams.
These programs are critical for addressing Northwest Washington’s behavioral health needs while also alleviating demand for local resources like hospitals, law enforcement and community responders. By allowing ambulance and law enforcement drop-offs at the crisis triage center and accepting referrals from hospitals at the evaluation and treatment unit, the facility will help ensure individuals receive the right level of care when they need it most.
The Marc Healing Center serves as the centerpiece of Compass Health’s three-phase Broadway Campus Redevelopment. Andy’s Place, Phase I of the redevelopment, opened in May 2021 and provides 82 units of permanent supportive housing to formerly homeless individuals who are living with chronic behavioral health challenges. Phase III will focus on integrating behavioral health services with a primary health care clinic.
“The Marc Healing Center represents so much: a safe haven for individuals struggling with severe behavioral health challenges, a resource to alleviate demand on our local response, a magnet for future behavioral health professionals, and a regional solution to some of our community’s most visible and pressing needs,” said Sebastian. “This name is the perfect reflection of what this building stands for and couldn’t be more aligned with the broader vision for the entire campus redevelopment.”
Compass Health has received support from a combination of public, private, and philanthropic sources to fund the majority of the $71 million project, including a significant investment from the State of Washington, along with contributions from Snohomish County, the City of Everett, and the federal New Markets Tax Credit program. To help cross the funding finish line, Compass Health also launched its first-ever capital campaign, It’s Time: The Campaign for Compass Health. The campaign is nearing its $14 million goal, with contributions from lead funders, including the Sunderland Foundation, Coastal Community Bank, the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, the Norcliffe Foundation, and Premera Blue Cross. The organization also received federal Human Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funding with the support of U.S. Representative Rick Larsen, as well as a number of significant lead gifts from individual and family donors.
For more information about the Marc Healing Center and Compass Health’s Broadway Campus Redevelopment, visit www.compasshealth.org/broadwayredevelopment. To learn more about and donate to the It’s Time Capital Campaign, visit www.compasshealth.org/itstime.
About Compass Health:
Compass Health is Northwest Washington’s behavioral healthcare leader. A community-based healthcare agency, Compass Health integrates behavioral health and medical care services to form a key section of the community safety net and serve clients and others in need of care and support. From comprehensive mental health treatment to crisis prevention and intervention, supportive housing, children’s services, community education and much more, the non-profit organization serves people of all ages throughout Snohomish, Skagit, Island, San Juan, and Whatcom counties.
Media Contacts:
Annie Alley
Firmani + Associates Inc.
Compasshealth@firmani.com
(206) 466-2713
Jaki Brophy
Compass Health
Jaki.brophy@compassh.org
(425) 349-8374
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1870e514-a6a6-4f58-9948-7e00af28b2cb
