The name of Tys' new psychiatric hospital is Kompassisairaila. The hospital's project manager Pekka Makkonen explains why it is important for the name to be inconspicuous.
In Turku the name of the new psychiatric hospital will be Kompassisairaila.
Hospital project manager Pekka Makkonen according to Tyks Psychiatric Hospital would have been stigmatizing as a name.
“Reducing stigma is important. We don't want to stigmatize patients. Compass is a neutral name and does not create associations with mental illnesses. We want a psychiatric hospital to be like a bank or an agency, i.e. a place where you can get a service,” says Makkonen.
The hospital more than 2,300 proposals were submitted to the name competition. Suggestions were collected through a survey, which was advertised on social media and on the website of the welfare area.
The most suggested names were Ankkurisairaala, Valoa and Toivo. According to Makkonen, unsuitable names and, for example, names already in use by companies, were eliminated from among the proposals.
The final name selection was made by a jury, which included, among others, patient organizations and experience experts. The name was finally chosen from among three proposals. In addition to Compass Hospital, Horizon Hospital and Sail Hospital also participated in the top fight.
“I have not come across this before, that the users of a psychiatric hospital have been strongly involved in the creation of a new hospital. I'm really proud that the patients were able to decide on the name,” says Makkonen.
In addition to the name, patient organizations and other parties have also been able to influence the hospital's facilities.
“They have moved the walls. We have put floor plans on display,” says Makkonen.
The hospital lobby will have its own spaces for patient and family organizations.
Ten Mental Hospital was also on the list of the most suggested names.
“It's an old name for a psychiatric hospital. In no case did we want such a name,” says Makkonen.
According to him, among the name suggestions there were other haphazard suggestions, such as Pöpilä. This partly tells about what kind of prejudices people have about psychiatric care and patients.
According to Makkonen, the stigma associated with mental illnesses, especially among young people, has fortunately decreased, but there is still work to be done.
“For example, some patients do not dare to say that they have been to Haliko Hospital or Märy, because there is such a strong stigma attached to it.”
Haliko Psychiatric Hospital is located in Salo, Märynummi. Its operation will end this year, and care will be transferred to Kompasisaarial.
Turku the naming of the Tyks hospital buildings located in the center has changed in recent years. Older hospitals are A, U and T hospitals. The newest one, Majakkasairaila, opened in 2022.
Makkonen cannot answer why the naming policy has changed. However, the name of the Lighthouse Hospital influenced the name of the Compass Hospital. The goal was an archipelago theme.
“The project name of Compass Hospital was P-hospital. We knew right from the start that that name wouldn't stick,” says Makkonen.
Makkonen has found that new psychiatric hospitals are now showing a trend towards more abstract names. By this, he means that the names do not directly tell you what kind of care you get from the hospital.
The name of the new psychiatry building at Kuopio University Hospital is Lainesairaala. Seinäjoki, on the other hand, has the M-talo or the House of Possibilities.
“In psychiatry, it is important that the name of the hospital is abstract,” says Makkonen.
How can we avoid that some kind of stigma is not attached to the name of Kompassisaarialan over time. If you don't dare to say you've been to Märy now, can it be the same problem in the future to say you've been to Kompass?
“I think the location has a lot to do with this. The Kompas site is right next to Tyks, but there are other services nearby, such as offices and Kupitta's new hotel. If we are talking about Märynummi, the situation is different. There, the entire village is built around the hospital. This is not the same problem as we are right in the center of Turku”, says Makkonen.
He says that not everyone agrees with him that psychiatric services are similar to everyday services as, for example, banking services.
“However, the rumblings of change are ongoing.”
Makkonen would like to extend the more abstract names to the names of psychiatric hospital departments as well.
“Psychiatry has, for example, a psychosis department, a mood disorder department and an addiction psychiatry department. I have talked with patient organizations and these department names are considered quite stigmatizing. They could be something else. I'm not saying a flower or a flower, but something different from now.”
Operations at the new Compass Hospital will begin in November 2024.
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