ALABAMA STATE EDITION
231
65
72 Florence
2
Huntsville
20 Decatur
72
565 59
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A Supplement to:
231
431
31
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Gadsden
78 59 Anniston
20
Birmingham Bessemer
82 Tuscaloosa
65 280
20 82 Auburn
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80
85
Selma
Phenix City
Montgomery
82 65
February 1 2017 Vol. XXIX • No. 3
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Your Alabama Connection • Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479
$20M Hospital: Future of Health Care in Wedowee By Cindy Riley
Described as the future of “Tanner has supported improving health care in Randolph voters, with more than 86 percent backing the proposal. health care in Randolph County, a County for years. We operate two medical practices in “We’re proud to partner with the Randolph County commore than 50,000-sq. ft. (4,645 sq Randolph County. Woodland Family Healthcare and Tanner munity to keep a local hospital in the county, and we’re m), three-story, $20 million hospital is taking shape in Primary Care of Wedowee, formerly the Wedowee Clinic, grateful for their support. A local hospital is more than conWedowee, Ala. The new facility is being built on the are each part of Tanner Medical Group, and Tanner has venience — it’s jobs, it’s economic investment and it’s an Tanner/East Alabama campus on South Main Street, where already invested more than $7 million in a brick-and-mortar assurance that timely care is available when a loved one much of the infrastructure to support a contemporary hospi- commitment to the region through the construction of needs it.” tal facility is already in place. Howard said discussions about partnering “Wedowee Hospital, as it stands today, with the Randolph County community date cannot stand at all much longer,” said Loy back almost two decades, when he and a Howard, president and CEO of Carrollton, family practice physician with Woodland Ga., based Tanner Health System. “The Family Healthcare began discussing ways hospital is small and outdated. We have the community and the health system could found that updating the building to modern work together. building codes for medical facilities and “We started asking ourselves, ‘How are Americans with Disabilities Act compliwe going to have a facility this community ance would be prohibitively expensive. can be proud of? How are we going to have Parking is scarce, and there’s no helipad to a facility that will attract the best and brighttransport the most acute patients to est health care providers to this region?’ Anniston, Birmingham or Carrollton.” This is an investment in our children’s The new Tanner Medical Center/East future, and our grandchildren’s future.” Alabama in Wedowee will provide 24-hour Randolph Medical Center shut down in emergency care, critical care support, inpa2011, which had a significant impact on the tient and observation beds, a surgical suite area. and advanced diagnostic imaging services. “The closing of the hospital in Roanoke Howard said at a time of physician shortwas a real blow for the community,” said ages nationwide, efforts to recruit additional Howard. “It’s also one of the factors that providers to serve the existing Wedowee made it so critical to keep the hospital in Hospital are futile. Wedowee. “It’s just not the kind of place many new “The reason a new hospital is being built physicians see themselves wanting to pracin Wedowee is because the people know tice. Any attempt to make the improvewhat an asset it is for their community. You ments to the current Wedowee Hospital don’t have to look far anywhere in the would’ve been hampered by cost. The size Southeast to see communities who suffer of the facility’s lot limited any potential after their hospitals close.” future expansion. That’s why building a In May, 2016, more than 250 Randolph RA-LIN and Associates photo new facility was really the most viable solu- Described as the future of health care in Randolph County, a more than 50,000-sq.-ft. County residents, community leaders and tion to keeping a hospital in Randolph (4,645 sq m), three-story hospital is taking shape in Wedowee, Ala. employees from Tanner Health System County.” gathered to mark the start of construction. Construction of the hospital is expected to take about 15 Tanner/East Alabama.” The building will be the fifth hospital in the Tanner system, months, with a grand opening in fall 2017. The hospital is Getting the current project off the ground, however, was joining Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton, Tanner Medical expected to draw residents from throughout eastern no small task. To finance building the new structure, Tanner Center/Villa Rica, Higgins General Hospital in Bremen, Ga., Alabama. and community leaders took the issue to the county’s voters, and the inpatient behavioral health facility Willowbrooke at “We even wanted to give the facility a name that reflects seeking approval of a special purpose sales tax to raise funds Tanner in Villa Rica. its emerging role as a destination not only for Wedowee and for the hospital’s construction. Tanner would manage, staff Construction of the replacement hospital is moving forRandolph County, but for the entire region,” said Howard. and outfit it, if residents covered the cost of construction. ward at a steady pace. Andrew Stewart, project manager of “People from throughout the region will be traveling into Efforts by locally organized community groups made the general contractor RA-LIN and Associates, said crews are Randolph County for care, and Tanner Medical Center/East difference. The referendum to build a new hospital in currently placing lightweight insulating concrete, along with Alabama reflects that regional appeal. Randolph County received overwhelming support from the see HOSPITAL page 6
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Page 6 • February 1, 2017 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Modern Replacement Hospital to Open in Fall 2017 HOSPITAL from page 1
carrying out TPO roofing, exterior sheathing, interior stud framing, in-wall and overhead mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-ins and curb, gutter and base for paving operations. “Hospitals are similar in many respects to other types of buildings,” said Stewart. “The challenge is further compounded when the project involves adding to an operational health care facility. Hospitals have special systems that are required for the diagnosis, treatment and safety of patients. In addition to complying with the typical building codes, hospitals are required to comply with several specialized codes.” For the various teams involved in construction, planning was extremely important. “A good set of design documents, constant communication with the end users and experienced subcontractors are essential. Hospitals are open 365 days per year, all day and all night. The facility must be designed and constructed to meet this demand.” Several milestones have been reached on the project, including project mobilization, grading to pad ready, deep aggregate pier work, shallow foundation work, as well as the foundation wall, slab on grade, elevated slab placement, steel erection and metal stud framing. Stewart also said dirt work has been fairly significant. “We excavated a large onsite retention pond, and a majority of the onsite borrow was suitable structural fill material used as backfill for large modular block retaining walls. Another excavation was the basement/ground level that will house the central energy plant for the new hospital,” said Stewart. Two large site retaining walls had to be constructed as part of the site development to allow infrastructure for the new facility and laydown area for construction activities. “The site was a green field adjacent to an existing medical facility. Work included minimal site demolition, for the upper level
building pad and existing parking lot tie-in. Veneer demolition was required to allow new construction tie-in and a three-hour separation wall to be installed between the existing building and new hospital.” Key tasks yet to be carried out involve completion of the dry-in, including installation of view dynamic glazing and coordination of in-wall and overhead requirements for medical equipment. Stewart said throughout construction, attention to detail is crucial. “Medical facilities are highly technical in nature. Extreme care has to be given to construction quality and operations. All the systems need to work flawlessly and communicate seamlessly. Particular attention must be given to infection control,” said Stewart. So far, the elements have not been a concern for crews. As work on the project continues, being mindful of unnecessary waste can’t be stressed enough. “RA-LIN consistently looks for ways to achieve sustainability. As an example, we divert construction waste from landfills through agreements with the local waste handler to recycle the concrete and masonry debris saving tons of waste from entering landfills,” said Stewart. The building also is designed to have an air barrier under the exterior finishes. “This helps seal the building envelope and improve indoor air quality. The mechanical systems are designed to be highly efficient reducing operating costs and power consumption. The building utilizes LED lighting technology with sensors to turn lighting off when no occupants are present,” said Stewart. “Tanner Hospital in Wedowee is also using a new technology called dynamic glazing. The windows are designed and constructed to allow for pre-programmed tinting to occur throughout the day. This eliminates the need for blinds, and allows light in when needed and keeps unwanted light and heat out. This technology reduces the heat load
transferred into the building by sunlight, and contributes to higher air conditioning system efficiency.” Lee Koepke, RA-LIN pre-construction manager, said between 15,000 to 20,000 cu. yds. (11,468 to15,291 cu m) of dirt is being moved on the project. Main materials include structural steel, concrete and light gauge metal studs. Heavy equipment required to complete the work includes bulldozers, excavators, compactors, motorgraders, an 80-ton crane (72 t) 12K telehandler and 60-ft. (18.3 m) man lifts and scissor lifts. For the creative team, the new facility presented a mix of challenges. According to Scott Meade, AIA, a senior health care architect of Earl Architects, “Our vision for the new Wedowee hospital was to design a modern, state-of-the-art replacement hospital that’s appropriately sized and budgeted within a rural community setting, while providing the same high-level quality of care that’s found in larger health care campuses across the country. “As with many of our successfully completed rural community hospital projects, we understand the very fine balance between managing a limited project budget, while also designing a right-sized health care facility that will meet the current and future needs of the community. At Tanner Medical Center East Alabama, we challenged ourselves to appropriately apply the budget to those specific areas that have the most significant impact towards enhancing the overall patient/staff experience.” Meade said making the most of outdoor influences is a plus when designing an optimal healing environment. “At Tanner Medical Center/East Alabama , we’ve taken full advantage of highlighting these natural elements. The large glass facades and windows share the surrounding views of nature, while providing plenty of natural daylight to enter throughout the new hospital.” The new structure embraces a modern-
lodge architectural style to reflect the surrounding lake community. The main exterior is a combination of glass, steel, stone and block that matches the existing architecture on the site. Meade said having worked on numerous hospitals was helpful in taking on the Wedowee project. “During the design phase, we conduct solar simulation studies using our Building Information Modeling (BIM) software to properly position the hospital on the site. Many areas of the hospital also include LEED and LEAN Guidelines, such as workflow circulation efficiencies, as well as flexibility for future expansion. “The roof area over the first floor was preserved for future expansion to allow the footprint of the patient floor to grow easily by strategically locating rooftop mechanical systems, and simultaneously limiting disruption of services. Another sustainable feature includes LED lighting throughout the new hospital with occupancy sensors to help conserve energy.” As the project moves closer to completion, Meade hopes individuals admitted to or those who work at the new facility will appreciate his firm’s commitment to excellence. “Our takeaway goal is that when patients and staff experience the Tanner Medical Center East Alabama Hospital, they gain a sense of pride and ownership, and promote a setting where staff can be proud to deliver world-class care effectively and efficiently, while allowing patients to heal comfortably and quickly. Earl Architects is proud to be a valued partner with Randolph County and Tanner Health System. We are honored to be part of this exciting team that has successfully achieved the vision towards making the new hospital a reality,” said Meade. (This story also can be found on Construction Equipment Guide’s website at www.constructionequipmentguide.com.) CEG
Earl Architects rendering
A rendering of the completed Tanner Medical Center/East Alabama.
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • February 1, 2017 • Page 7
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