As Birmingham’s population grows and its residents are living longer, the demand for healthcare is also growing. Suburbs are moving outward. Healthcare technologies are changing, along with patient expectations. Together, these factors are powering new construction, renovations and changes in the locations and environments where healthcare is delivered. For these builders, and for architects, designers, subcontractors and support services that specialize in healthcare in Birmingham, 2008 is shaping up to be a busy year. Reaching Skyward: Shelby Baptist Medical Center South Tower “We are very excited about Shelby Baptist’s South Tower project, which is the largest construction project in the history of the hospital,” said David Wilson, president of Shelby Baptist. “As the community we serve has grown and continues to grow, we clearly were in need of updating our facility. This project will allow us to replace our semi-private rooms with all private rooms which will be a benefit to our patients.” The four-floor tower in Alabaster is being built atop the hospital’s recently constructed emergency department. The tower begins on the second floor with an admitting/registration area, public space, clinical laboratory, central sterile supply, and mechanical space. Fifty medical/surgical private rooms on the third floor, 35 on the fourth floor plus 16 ICU beds replace 101 existing licensed beds. The fifth floor will be shelled for future expansion. “The new rooms will complement the state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment services being implemented at the facility,” Wilson said. “Subsequently, this should result in a new level of quality and service being provided to patients at Shelby Baptist. Both our patients and clinicians will benefit from this project as we bring the future of healthcare to our growing community.” The 157,712-square-foot tower, as well as a 15,000-square-foot central energy plant to support it, are scheduled to be completed in 2009. Program manager for the project is KLMK Group. The architect is TRO Jung|Brannen, and Robins & Morton is the contractor. UAB Women’s & Infants Facility In a 10-story building rising on 18th Street South, UAB is bringing all its women’s reproductive health and neonatology services together in one location, to make them more accessible for patients. Referral centers for newborn intensive care, maternal fetal medicine and women’s oncology will be among the services housed on the first eight floors, and the top two floors will be devoted to professional offices. In addition to structural enhancements to support the latest technical advances in care, what makes this building unique is the contribution of design ideas by the physicians, nurses and staff who will be working there. “We have the actual end users helping us determine how their work areas should be laid out to make their work environment work for them,” said Madonna Nichols, RN, MSN, administrative director of women’s and infants’ services. “The units are designed to keep nurses as close to the patients as possible. Each pod contains 12 to 16 beds and all supplies, small equipment, nourishment, medications and support space. This saves footsteps in locating items needed for care, and allows nurses to spend more time at the bedside.” The NICU is only a few steps away from delivery and ORs. Babies will be cared for in single rooms with private family space at the bedside to facilitate bonding. Some rooms will also be equipped so twins and triplets can stay together. Bridges will connect the new facility to the North Pavilion. The architecture features open spaces and light, with interiors with a feminine sensibility and special touches to appeal to women. Brasfield and Gorrie are contractors for the project, which is expected to be completed in approximately two years. UAB Hazelrig-Salter Radiation Oncology Facility Sharing the building with the women’s and infants’ facility, UAB’s new radiation oncology facility is named in honor of the Hazelrig family and their long-time physicians, the Salters. “All clinical services are on the first floor. Many of our patients are very sick, and we want to make access to treatment as convenient as possible,” said John Brinkerhoff, executive administrator of radiation oncology. “We visited similar projects at the Mayo Clinic and Wake Forest to get a sense which features work best to make a facility patient friendly. We wanted to avoid hurdles like stairs and to make sure nearby parking and valet parking was available for patients too ill to walk longer distances. Privacy is important, and we are making sure there are plenty of changing rooms so patients won’t have to wait,” said Brinkerhoff. “We worked closely with the architect to create a pleasant waiting area and an environment with plenty of light. Since we are a referral center for pediatric oncology, we set aside a play area for children. There will also be a green space park in front, which is a gift of the Limbaugh family.” Technology is moving rapidly in the field, and the facility will have larger vaults to house the larger linear accelerators and equipment of the future. State-of-the-art treatment delivery systems will be installed when construction is completed in late 2009. “This facility is designed to be ready for those advances and to allow us to push the envelop on technology and the next generation of machinery,” said James A. Bonner, chairman of radiation oncology. “Labs will be located nearby on the second floor to enhance the collaborative environment of translational medicine to help us speed the benefits of new research into treatment. “There is no magic bullet for most types of cancer, and effective treatment often involves multiple modalities of therapy,” said Bonner. “We’re incorporating structural design that will make it easier for oncologists in radiation, chemotherapy, surgery and researchers and support staff to work together.” He added, “This collaborative environment will also foster the future trend toward individualized treatment, which will allow researchers and clinicians to work together to customize treatment to design a unique response to a patient’s specific needs.” Reaching Outward: Brookwood Medical Center’s Suburban Clinics “Population growth is moving farther out, so we’re going out to be where our patients are and make healthcare services more convenient for them,” said Vincent McVittie, chief development officer for Brookwood Medical Center. During 2007, Brookwood opened four clinics off campus. The first was an urgent care facility in Gardendale in March, followed by three family practice and internal medicine facilities in September that opened in Cahaba Heights/Vestavia, Hoover and the Narrows on Highway 280. Rather than building from the ground up, the clinics are build-outs of existing space with facilities for primary care, diagnostics and support services. Patients can see their family practitioner, internist and Brookwood-based specialists who have office hours at the clinics on a rotating basis. The trend toward taking doctors to patients rather than just patients to doctors is also being seen in wellness centers, group practices and other off-campus hospital clinics and healthcare facilities. It saves patients time and fuel on crowded highways and helps healthcare professionals and hospitals maintain a continuing relationship with patients who move into outlying neighborhoods. Renovation and Innovation: Brookwood Medical Center “Birmingham is a competitive healthcare market. We always want to put our best foot forward,” said Debbie Hollenstein, Brookwood’s director of marketing and public relations. For most larger healthcare facilities, staying competitive and current with new technologies requires a continuing program of planned renovation. Brookwood Medical Center is one active example of this principle. “In a facility this size, it’s an ongoing process,” said McVittie. “By renovating our hospital and professional buildings a section at a time on a rotating basis, we can keep everything up to date and in good condition with minimal disruption.” Brookwood is currently updating and expanding its emergency room, and renovating and updating patient registration and the lobby area, which will include a Starbucks opening in late February. “We have been working on the second floor cardiovascular surgery unit, and will be working on the seventh floor oncology unit this year,” McVittie said. “We’re now finishing a ground-up renovation of the Brookwood Cancer Care Center. There’s more treatment area, and a more ergonomic design, incorporating a better, more efficient use of space and better accessibility for patients.” Recent renovations feature more neutral, soothing color schemes on patient floors and amenities patients might expect to find at home or in an upscale hotel. “Our women’s center has been redesigned for a more spa-like feeling,” said Hollenstein. “We’re offering concierge services, flat screen TV and other features to help patients feel more at home and at ease.” Brookwood is also moving toward green design using earth-friendly materials during renovations where opportunities arise. “We built a “green” roof over the cafeteria last year,” Hollenstein said. “Our fifth-floor tile is made with 100 percent recycled materials, and nurse’s station tiles are from recycled glass.” On the Horizon During the year ahead, healthcare construction and real estate are likely to once again be making news. Decisions are pending on Trinity Medical Center’s relocation to Irondale, which could launch major construction and development on the eastern side of the city. There have been hints of other projects in the planning stages that could lead to announcements in the coming year. A question mark that remains is the future of the digital hospital built by HealthSouth on Highway 280, which is in the process of being acquired by Daniel Corporation. There have reportedly been meetings with military officials on the possibility of converting it a national military recovery center to care for casualties returning from Iraq. How will changes in the ownership of Carraway and the merger of Medical Center East into St. Vincent’s affect plans for the future? Will concerns about the economy and residential real estate be reflected in projects now on the drawing board? Although predictions are subject to events in the world at large, the key factors guiding the growth in facilities where healthcare is delivered are likely to hold true for the foreseeable future. The population of Birmingham and Alabama is continuing to grow. Baby boomers are aging and will need more health services. Current major construction is continuing. New technologies, green consciousness and patient-centered design in a competitive market are likely to drive ongoing renovation. The next twelve months are likely to be a busy time for the healthcare builders of Birmingham! February 2008