CREVE COEUR, MO-McCarthy has completed the construction of a seven-story patient tower at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center. The 379,000-square-foot tower, which will include the hospital’s children’s hospital, is an example of the kind of health care development going throughout the nation in 2011.

This addition brings together private pediatric patient rooms, neonatal intensive care pods, pediatric intensive care unit, and tests and treatments area into a comprehensive space for children and their families. The second floor includes a 52-bed neonatal intensive care unit, the third floor includes a 24-bed pediatric space, a 12-bed pediatric intensive care unit and four swing rooms. The fourth and fifth floor contain a 36-bed trauma intermediate care unit and 36-bed monitored intermediate care unit. The sixth and seventh floors provide room for expansion as needed, and could accommodate 36 beds each.

Dan Cates, director of business development for St. Louis-based McCarthy, tells GlobeSt.com that the era of large hospital projects has slowed somewhat with the questions about the stability of the recent health care legislation. “It sure seems that most of the systems are somewhat indecisive on which way health care reform is going to go,” Cates says.

Health care firms are instead looking toward renovations, upgrades and more combined services for patients, he says, though decisions are taking longer than before. “Even though they’re hesitant to spend money, there’s a trend toward creating the more community-based facility. These medical office buildings and new clinic-type spaces are certainly part of the package. However, projects are getting scrutinized a lot closer, with companies not as quick to pull the trigger,” Cates says.