Healthcare facility construction is always complex, with demanding environmental standards, the need to install and support specialized equipment, and an expectation of top-quality craftsmanship that will hold up under heavy use.
Counterintuitively, though, it’s often the small projects – renovations, upgrades, and additions to an existing occupied building – that most test the skills and adaptability of a healthcare construction firm like McGough.
Kristine Sallee, our business development director for central Minnesota, sees this firsthand and knows how important it is to partner closely with clients on these smaller projects. In addition to working with our healthcare clients as part of her business development role, Kristine has a background in healthcare facility design that adds an appreciation of what clients want to achieve and the market forces behind renovations.
“Healthcare changes rapidly, and how you treat patients today is very different from ten years ago,” Kristine said. “Even in a relatively new building, new treatments and changing patient volumes might mean changing how your space is used. Executing the construction required for a design that is modern and finishing with minimal disruption to caregivers and especially patients, takes thoughtful planning and a holistic approach that McGough excels at.”
Changing Healthcare Needs Require Thoughtful Spaces
A prime example is the recently completed update to the infusion clinic within M Health Fairview’s Clinics and Surgery Center in Minneapolis. The 342,000 square foot CSC building was a McGough project, completed in 2018, but treatment changes and increasing patient volumes meant renovating a significant portion of the infusion clinic space.
“This project was driven by an increase in patient volume,” Kristine said. “At the same time, with changes to how people work, they didn’t need as much office space. The design team took existing consultation rooms, and some smaller existing waiting spaces and staff areas, and converted them into 13 total new infusion treatment spaces.”
Existing consultation spaces were retrofitted as well, reflecting an elevated focus on patient privacy. Three new blood draw rooms and a satellite blood bank were added to increase efficiency, so the clinic didn’t need to rely on an off-site satellite blood bank. All of this has transformed the speed with which patients can be seen and treated – but first it had to be built.
Precision Planning and Execution Promotes Patient Wellness
Construction in an active health care space is a special challenge. “They were literally doing work right next door to where somebody was receiving a chemo infusion,” Kristine noted. “Sound, vibration, scheduled service shutdowns, everything is affecting that space. It’s a lot of coordination with staff to find that balance between serving the patient and getting the construction work done.”
Our healthcare team is trained in specialized techniques to minimize impact, including installing special barriers, maintaining negative air pressure for infection control and containment of airborne contaminants , and scheduling work around clinic and patient activity. Then there are regulations to follow for healthcare construction specific to infection control, safety, and security, all of which need to be planned for, implemented and documented.
Many renovation projects like the one at M Health Fairview involve intense work in multiple separate small areas, sometimes simultaneously. “This was officially five phases, but it felt like 20 with all the disparate areas we were working in,” Kristine said. “Getting people and materials in and out of the occupied building, working in tight spaces without disrupting care – it’s a logistical puzzle.”
Partnership and Expertise Pave the Way to Success
With our decades of healthcare experience, McGough is able to manage these complex projects with ease.
“This first phase of the project was completed in 12 weeks, which is a very, very fast schedule,” Kristine said. “Having that horsepower to get in and out of a space quickly, and with the least amount of disruption, was essential for patient care.”
Another factor that helped make the M Health Fairview renovation efficient was our relationship with the building and owner. As the original builder, our team already knew many details that helped with planning and executing the project, such as above ceiling conditions and floor slab details.
“We’ve maintained that client relationship and continued to do work in the building over the years,” Kristine said. “That’s part of the value of working with McGough long term. We take pride in these buildings and it’s gratifying to be able to go back and help them evolve and grow to serve the community’s needs.”
Additional Small Healthcare Renovation Projects
