The project took just 26 months from board approval (16 months from construction start), which is hyper-speed for designing and building today’s complex medical facilities. “The rapid project delivery stems from an integrated planning process that involved hospital officials, staff, strategic planners and designers,” said Fred M. Rankin, III, president of MediCorp Health System.
The hospital board approved the project in October 2001 and the new facility welcomed its first patients this month. “I cannot think of another project of this complexity and aesthetics that has been delivered so quickly,” said David Derr, project director with architectural firm Ellerbe Becket. The firm, which designed the Mayo Clinic in 1912, has completed new facilities and renovations for hospitals, academic medical centers and medical group practice clinics around the world.
The 318-bed Mary Washington Hospital is experiencing rapid growth in its core market of Fredericksburg and the surrounding counties of Stafford, King George, Spotslyvania and Caroline. The area is part of the rapidly growing suburbs of both the District of Columbia and Richmond, Va.
The integrated planning process yielded recognition that by the year 2020, Mary Washington’s market will experience significant population growth with an accompanying increased need for inpatient, outpatient, support and diagnostic departments. The planning process identified an immediate demand for approximately 100 beds.
Ellerbe Becket and strategic planning firm McManis Consulting then set out to develop potential alternatives to address the immediate hospital needs while maintaining options for future expansion of the hospital and campus.
The new 100-bed inpatient tower contains five stories arranged around the main entrance and an atrium lobby. The three-story atrium creates a new image for the hospital while improving access to the building, especially during inclement weather. The $46 million project represents 100,000 sf of new construction and 20,000 sf of renovation.
The location and design promote efficient facility operation by allowing separate units to share staff and equipment as patient loads fluctuate. Here’s a look at what’s housed in the new space:
- The top two floors contain medical/surgical patient rooms.
- The third floor provides much-needed expansion for the post-partum and obstetrical units.
- The second floor provides consolidation and expansion of the intensive care units.
- The first floor contains a new admissions department, retail amenities and support spaces.
- The loading dock has been expanded as has central sterile services, the pharmacy and food services.
In concert with the strategic planning efforts for the new addition, the Ellerbe Becket team performed an assessment of the physical plant, its potential for expansion, the current conditions of its systems and its ongoing use for patient care functions. By assessing both strategic and facility issues simultaneously, Derr said one was able to inform the other as directions for growth were identified. “This coordinated approach has allowed the hospital board to fully understand the impact of strategic decisions on the facility and to see how the facility improvements will allow for implementation of strategic initiatives,” said Derr.
Mary Washington Hospital is the cornerstone of the MediCorp Health System. More than 45 medical specialties are represented on the hospital’s medical staff, which consists of more than 300 area doctors and allied health professionals. About 90 percent of the hospital’s physicians are Board-certified, and several have credentials in more than one specialty.
An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket is a leader in architecture, engineering and the construction industry with office locations worldwide.
Contact: news@ellerbebecket.com
