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Providence Health Systems, a non-profit healthcare network, has construction projects scattered throughout its campuses in western Oregon. The health organization spent the last few years evaluating its future and discovered that it needed to expand in order to handle the expected patient load.
Population growth in the Portland area, especially in the baby boomer age group was one factor. The other is the increasing number of physicians who are flocking to the Northwest.
By far, the largest-and most complicated-projects are at the Providence Portland campus, which is nestled in a Northeast Portland neighborhood. The projects are so big that Providence chose two construction companies to handle four big jobs. Andersen Construction is expanding administrative space by 31,000-sq.- ft. and building a 900-space parking garage to be completed January 2006.
The Medical Office Building (Child Center) consists of a new Wee Care facility on the Lower Level, treatment rooms for The Center for Medically Fragile Children patients on the First Floor, and Administration / Shelled space on the Second Floor. The new Child Center totals 32,000-sq.ft. and is highlighted with brick curtain wall and architectual metal panels. The parking structure houses 941 parking stalls over 9.5 levels, which totals approximately 326,000 gross SF. The Parking Structure features CIP concrete walls and perferrated aluminum screen panels.
The parking structure is utilizing castellated beam panels, also known as "smart beams." The beams make the structure lighter, saving time and money for the structure's foundation work. This is the second project Providence has used the smart beam system for. The first was the North Parking Structure Expansion at St. Vincent Hospital in Portland, another Andersen project.
Turner Construction is modernizing the utility plant at Providence, a huge undertaking that won't be complete until January 2008. Already, Turner has brought in all new gas, sewer, stormwater and power lines. The new utility plant features new generators, chillers, medical pumps and air compressors.
"We're trying to provide a physical plant that will take us another 50 years down the road," says Rick Staley, Senior Construction Manager for Providence Portland.
Modernizing a power plant for a busy hospital is a tricky job that requires communication and teamwork. For Turner Construction, it meant considering the needs of the hospital and the neighbors before ever breaking ground.
The greatest consideration is for the hospital itself, to keep it working and keep it safe for patients and staff during construction. One major issue: air quality control.
Turner put scrubbers on diesel equipment to keep fumes from entering the air intake system for the hospital. Turner also added filters to the hospital's air intake system to ensure fumes do not enter the facility. The hospital's housekeeping staff is on notice to pay extra attention to the lobby where dust may blow in when patients and visitors enter the building. Turner has also built walls and, in some cases, entire rooms as a "neutral zone" between construction and the hospital.
Another major issue on the Providence Portland campus is ambulances. Turner and Andersen created construction plans that have their trucks and equipment entering and leaving the site on roads that do not intersect with the path of ambulances. Both companies also have to leave a clear path so medical helicopters can land on the top of the parking garage and doctors can whisk patients into the hospital.
In addition to modernizing the utility plant, Turner is also contracted on Providence's most unique project: a cancer treatment tower. The building, scheduled for completion in January 2008, will be eleven stories high and 485,000 sq.-ft. with the top three floors shelled in for future expansion.
At Providence's sister hospital St. Vincent's Andersen is building a 250,000-sq.ft. cancer center. The nine-level building is being constructed to match the general appearance of the existing medical office building. The interior improvements include five new elevators, an ornate main lobby and a roof garden on the second floor.
"Providence Portland has the largest market share in treating cancer patients," says Vance. "We wanted to integrate all our services to make it more convenient for patients and their families."
The most environmentally sound project is in Newberg, where Providence is replacing an old hospital with a new, environmentally sound one. The organization is hoping for a silver certification from the national Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) registry.
"We would be the second silver certified hospital in the United States," says Staley. "The first one is in Boulder, Colorado."
Skanska, the contractor on the $45 million project, is building a sloped ceiling at the building perimeter to allow more daylight through high windows, which will be glazed. There's also a reflective roof and high-efficiency HVAC. The technological innovations in this hospital will save Providence an estimated $178,750 a year in energy costs.
Two other projects are taking place at St. Vincents, and being managed by Andersen. One is the East Tower expansion, which broke ground in April and will be completed in October 2006. The 77,000-sq.-ft. will tie to the existing hospital tower, adding floors four through nine. Built on top of a existing two-story building, the two tie together via a two-way truss system. The building also includes infrastructure upgrades to the chiller plant, the emergency generation and electrical feeds to the hospital.
The smallest project is the 10,300-sq.ft. remodeling project which serves as the model for future renovations of St. Vincent's Hospital tower. The unit will contain 22 fully accessible patient rooms, expanded in size from the current facility.
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