Healthcare

The D.C. Department of Health’s Emergency Health and Medical Services Administration is planning a mobile medical unit to provide surge capacity including triage, decontamination, and vaccination in the event of a crisis. The mobile facility will be comprised of two core parts. A hard shell component, similar to a trailer, will carry eight critical care beds and be hauled by an 18-wheel truck. A soft-shell component that can be pulled by a pickup truck will fold out into four individual climate-controlled tents housing eight to ten beds each.

Los Angeles County and the University of Southern California Medical Center are developing a 600-bed replacement hospital in Los Angeles. Designed by architects HOK of Los Angeles and LBL Associated Architects of Santa Monica, the 1.5 million-sf project will include a seven-story outpatient building, an eight-story inpatient tower, a five-story diagnostic treatment building, and a central energy plant. The project is being constructed by a tri-venture of McCarthy, Clark Construction Group, and the Hunt Construction Group.

The University of Texas Southwest Medical Center is engaged in the demolition and renovation of 24,000 sf of advanced cell biology workspace in Dallas. Omniplan Architects of Dallas designed the project, which will be completed by contractor McCarthy in two distinct phases.

Omaha, Neb.-based Alegent Health is working with contractor McCarthy to develop 443,000 sf of new construction and 158,000 sf of renovation spread over Alegent’s four medical centers in the greater Omaha area. Included in the project is construction of six major structures, the vertical expansion of an existing radiology building, along with significant site and physical plant work. The majority of the work – all to be completed by August 2005 – is being done in and around operational facilities. The project architect is Leo A. Daly of Omaha, Nebr.

The Veterans Affairs Medical Center is planning to break ground in late 2003 on the first two buildings of its planned $160-million City of Medicine campus in Durham. Totalling 96,000 sf of office and retail space, the two facilities will be developed by LCOR of Berwyn, Pa. The City of Medicine is a mixed-use project comprised of ten new medical research, office, retail, hotel, and apartment buildings. Thirty-five percent of the facilities will be leased to federal government-related tenants. Some VA hospital functions may be relocated to the new development.

Kaiser Permanente is opening a new 120,000-sf medical office building in Daly City, Calif. The facility, owned by King Asset Management of Palo Alto, will undergo a $31-million renovation prior to the relocation of 72 healthcare providers from Kaiser’s El Camino Real campus in San Francisco. The new facility is slated to open in November 2003 and will house women’s health services, pediatrics, internal medicine, optical services including ophthalmology, a laboratory, and a pharmacy.

Virtua Memorial Hospital Burlington County has completed the $770,000 renovation of its low-risk cardiac catheterization laboratory, including the installation of new imaging technology.

Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente has been recognized for notable accomplishments by H2E (Hospitals for a Healthy Environment), a partnership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the American Hospital Association, the American Nurses Association, and Health Care Without Harm. The Healthy Building Network has also awarded Kaiser for accelerating the shift to healthier building materials with its purchasing actions and policies.

Floyd Memorial Hospital is planning a $50-million expansion of its New Albany, Ind., facility. The 250,00-sf expansion will enhance the hospital's ability to care for cardiac patients and expand other services. Features of the expansion include:

Kaiser Permanente has completed the third phase of the new Harbor MacArthur Medical Office Building in Santa Ana, Calif. Designed by Taylor & Associates Architects of Newport Beach, the three-story, 32,000-sf facility adjoins the existing structure. The entire medical complex forms a comprehensive, 80,000-sf medical facility that provides space for 24 family practice providers, a physical therapy department, a pharmacy, an imaging center, acute care services, lab and blood draw, and visual services, including an optical dispensing department.

The San Diego Cancer Center is working with Bycor General Contractors to develop a two-story, 39,000-sf medical office building in Encinitas. The $4.1-million facility was designed by architect Ware Malcomb.

Christus Santa Rosa Medical Center is planning a $4-million expansion of its San Antonio hospital. Ground will be broken on a new 9,500-sf emergency department in June of 2003. 1,700 sf of space in the current emergency department will be renovated, and additional surface parking created. The expansion will also include the construction of 15 private exam rooms, a "fast-track" area, additional beds, ICU space, operating rooms, support, and waiting room space. The project is slated for completion in spring of 2004.

Palomar Pomerado Health has selected Anshen + Allen of Los Angeles to design the $210-million expansion of Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, Calif. and the $63-million expansion of Pomerado Hospital.

Virtua West Jersey Hospital has completed the $230,000 expansion and renovation of its Stretch Center for Musculoskeletal Treatment in Marlton, N.J. The project includes a 32-bed unit designed to care for the special needs of orthopedic and neurosurgical patients.

Memorial Hermann City Hospital in Houston opened the 18,000-sf Technical Education Center on March 28. The facility centralizes training programs that were previously sited at other hospital system locations. Housing three classrooms accommodating 50 students each, laboratories for nursing, surgical technology and radiology, and faculty offices, the center provides a simulated hospital setting for hands-on training. The surgical lab contains two mock operating rooms with surgical beds, scrub sink, and overhead lights.