In order to properly treat their patients, every medical center must have the equipment, space, and personnel that they need on-site. That’s why the St. David’s North Austin Medical Center underwent a recent expansion to provide their patients with the care they need. The project was a massive undertaking, spread out across four concurrent phases and costing $34 million in total. The construction took about 12 months, and during that time the hospital was kept fully functional in order to continue treating patients.
Four phases
In 2009, St. David’s went under an $83 million, 175,000-sq.-ft. expansion of the women’s center. The current project renovated and expanded upon portions of that previous project while also constructing additional sections. The entire project was cut up into four, consecutive phases, that included the following:
Antepartum vertical expansion
This expanded the current radiology department, adding an extra 32,000-sq.-ft. as well as 26 patient beds and a relocated mechanical penthouse.
NICU vertical expansion
This took place directly alongside the preexisting neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). 20,000-sq.-ft. in total, in added 20 new NICU bays as well as the relocated mechanical penthouse.
Surgery shell addition
Adding on to the existing building, this phase added 25,000-sq.-ft. It connected the women’s center tower to the operating rooms and sterile core of the existing hospital.
Pediatrics ED and PICU renovations
The final phase was perhaps the most extensive. With 20,000-sq.-ft. in renovations, this part of the project added a new ambulance entrance, exam rooms, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) rooms, trauma room, CT scan and radiology. It also installed a new set of elevators that would transport patients from the first-floor emergency department (ED) to the second floor PICU.
Keeping the hospital fully functional
When renovating a hospital, it’s important to make sure that construction does not disrupt patient care. This was the case at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center. Throughout the twelve months that this project took place, St. David’s remained fully functional. Even when construction was occurring in the most sensitive areas of the hospital (such as the emergency department or the NICU), it remained business as usual. This was accomplished by using a six-inch-thick sound barrier wall to muffle construction noise that was occurring inside of the hospital. The construction team also “used heavy protective plastic and clean suits each time that they moved or modified the sound wall to isolate the work areas.”
Staying on schedule
One of the biggest accomplishments of this project was that it was finished on schedule. As many know, construction projects are often delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. And, indeed, throughout this particular project there were forty days of delay due to rain. However, the construction team was able to recoup those lost days and still managed to finish within the 12-month schedule.
At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the expansion of the St. David’s North Austin Medical Center Campus. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.