Construction Completed at Three Kaiser Facilities
DOWNEY, Calif. — Construction was recently completed at several Kaiser Permanente facilities in California.
The new $385 million Downey Regional Medical Center, near Los Angeles, was completed five months earlier than expected with the design-build delivery method, according to construction manager McCarthy Building Companies.
HMC Architects, based in California, designed the new 650,000-square-foot facility. The hospital will accommodate 3,400 staff and 82 departments, including critical and acute care, inpatient and outpatient surgery, a labor unit, and pediatric and neonatal care.
The facility will replace Bellflower Medical Center, which was not compliant with state regulations and will be converted into an outpatient medical center, according to planners.
“Design-build is increasingly being embraced to reduce cost and eliminate design-related schedule impacts,” says Steven Mynsberge, executive vice president and healthcare business unit leader for McCarthy. “Careful planning and coordination on this project saved a significant amount of time and money, making the decision to replace Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center with an entirely new campus a much more cost-effective solution.”
The delivery method created $20 million in savings for Kaiser and allowed McCarthy to implement mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems modeling and an escalation-tracking model, according to the construction company.
To meet seismic requirements, a brace frame was created with 9,800 tons of steel. It utilizes large gusset plates and encased columns and beams to transfer the lateral load to the foundations.
Walls are formed with poured-in-place concrete and the exterior is accented with aluminum composite panels, a glass curtainwall, and punched and ribbon windows.
McCarthy is scheduled to return to the site in 2010 to construct a medical office building and parking structure.
The construction company also worked with Kaiser in Oakland, to complete a medical office building and cancer center on the provider’s Oakland Medical Center campus.
The 165,000-square-foot building is located across the street from Kaiser’s 341-bed flagship hospital in the East Bay.
The facility features a variety of cancer treatments, along with areas for specialty medical services, including ambulatory surgery, chronic pain management, and physical and occupational therapy.
The project team also utilized several environmentally friendly construction techniques and materials. High fly ash content concrete was used for the foundation and walls, along with cotton insulation. High-efficiency glass, sunshades and blinds maximize natural light usage, and water-conservation measures were applied inside and outside of the building.
Across the bay, Kaiser also debuted a new cancer center to the public at a June opening ceremony in South San Francisco.
The cancer treatment center will serve as Kaiser’s regional center for radiosurgery with advanced radiation treatment techniques. The center marks a change for Kaiser, which previously contracted with other hospitals that provided treatment.
The facility allows a patient’s entire team of doctors, social workers, dieticians and other caregivers to share information with Kaiser’s electronic medical records system, according to the healthcare provider.
It features low-VOC paints, PVC-free carpeting, recycled materials for insulation and rubber flooring that does not require harsh chemicals for cleaning and maintenance. Energy-efficient lighting and occupancy sensors are used throughout the building.