Sharp Grossmont Hospital Completes $26 Million Modernization

SAN DIEGO — The East Tower Nursing Unit at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in San Diego received a complete overhaul including the renovation and modernization of their facility. The new unit delivered much-needed upgrades to the infrastructure and the renovation of the seven-floor building’s second through fifth floors, according to a statement.

After the local taxpayers approved the project in June 2006, the planning for the construction and modernization began. Construction on the tower began in May 2012 and was completed in October 2015.

The 71,000-square-foot project received upgrades to the nursing units, entry corridors and elevator lobbies as well as the conversion of four semi-private rooms to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility guidelines.Construction company C.W. Driver partnered with architecture firm Stantec Inc. — both of which have offices in San Diego — to complete the renovations on each level. The upgrade to the infrastructure of the facility built in 1974 included an upgrade to the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. This included updating the elevators and controls, the hospitals information system, and the lighting and finishes in the hospital.

During construction, the hospital needed to remain functional. Keeping the hospital operational during construction does create a large challenge for the project team, according to Rich Freeark, senior vice president of C.W. Driver’s San Diego operations. C.W. Driver worked closely with Grossmont Healthcare District to plan the phases of construction in a way that would minimize the impact of the project for the patients as well as the staff, said Freeark in a statement. The coordination of the project caused minimum impact, and the outcome was a new, modernized facility to serve the surrounding community.

One major obstacle the team had to face was the renovation’s location directly above operating rooms. To contain the disruption of the construction, including noise, vibration, dust and handling of the construction materials, C.W. Driver worked with the sub-contractors to ensure functionality. The demolition of the floors was performed during the off hours, and all of the carts were covered to avoid contamination of the materials during demolition and removal of the debris, according to a statement.

Coordination between the construction team and the Sharp Grossmont team members was very important during the East Tower Nursing Unit renovation. To help keep the interference of construction to a minimum, the construction team identified noise and vibration activities in the renovation schedule and communicated with Sharp Grossmont to coordinate stoppages and the steps the project team needed to take in order to be efficient. C.W. Driver established a protocol for any unplanned requests for the stoppages and set up the appropriate actions needed in unplanned situations.

The taxpayers who voted for the Proposition G project on the June 2006 ballot, passed the proposition by more than 77 percent, which financed the $26 million renovation. On behalf of the taxpayers, Grossmont Healthcare District, a public agency that supports various health-related community programs, is serving as the landlord of the hospital’s property.