Tag Archives: healthcare construction

Completion of the new Marian Regional Medical Center marks new era for Santa Maria healthcare

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (June 4, 2012) – A new era in healthcare has begun in the Santa Maria Valley with the opening of Marian Regional Medical Center, a new 235,000-square-foot (double the existing size), $218 million tower tied in to the existing hospital. Owner Dignity Health selected Moon Mayoras Architects to design and Kitchell to construct the building. FDI Planning Consultants, a division of Kitchell, provided equipment transition services. The hospital’s mission-style exterior complements neighboring areas, following the City of Santa Maria architectural theme.

Kitchell started with a $13.8 million addition to the central plant to completely upgrade the original central plant built in the 1960s. Other features include a four-story (plus basement), 191-bed patient tower, a two-story above-grade connector to the existing hospital, neonatal intensive care (NICU), expanded emergency department, expanded critical care unit, surgical services, cardiac services (including open heart surgery), obstetrical and gynecological services, full diagnostic imaging services, including MRI and CT, cancer/oncology services, orthopedic services, pharmacy and respiratory therapy, new chapel, healing garden, and an expanded and relocated cafeteria.

“It’s great to be a part of a community landmark like this,” said Kitchell Project Director Michael Walsh. “Our team became really invested, celebrating alongside them when the transfer of patients was complete, the emergency room was full and the first birth was recorded.”

Read more about the project in this article from GlobeSt.com

Seven months from construction start to finish: Sonntag Academic Pavilion at Barrow Neurological Institute

PHOENIX (Feb. 29, 2012) – Kitchell is proud to announce the completion of construction of The Sonntag Academic Pavilion at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center.

The new Sonntag Academic Pavilion is one in a long line of Kitchell projects for St. Joseph’s, a relationship that began in 2002, encompasses nearly $150 million worth of work and includes construction of the 438,000 square-foot Barrow Patient Care Tower, housing for a CyberKnife, MRI and CVOR renovations, renovation of a children’s rehab unit and dozens of ancillary projects.

The new 3,000 square-foot building, designed by Phoenix-based Orcutt I Winslow architects, is named for neurosurgeon Volker K.H Sonntag, MD, who was most recently director of the world-renowned Barrow Neurosurgery Program. He has written 500 professional articles, co-edited six major textbooks, authored more than 90 textbook chapters, and made 900 presentations throughout the world during his 32-year career.

The pavilion will be formally opened by Dr. Sonntag and other Barrow leaders in April as part of this year’s 50th anniversary celebration at Barrow.

 “This project highlights the importance of the academic mission at Barrow – to raise the bar of knowledge in the neurosciences – a commitment that Dr. Sonntag lived his entire career.  The team that came together to build the facility worked tirelessly to ensure the project was completed on time and under budget. Everything went smooth as silk!” said Vice President of Barrow Neurological Institute Phil Pomeroy.

 Pomeroy’s comment underscores the tight timeframe and unique challenges of the job, which included staging construction in a very active courtyard off of a main thoroughfare in between two busy hospital entryways.  Kitchell constructed this highly technical building within seven months without disturbing the sensitive imaging processes or obstructing patients, visitors and hospital staff. Its strategy included building a gradual rise (to address elevation changes and steps) 40 by 20-foot tunnel from the sidewalk off Third Avenue under a breezeway to transport equipment (including a 90-ton boring machine) and provide site access for job site workers, which at the height of construction numbered more than 40.