SAN DIEGO—Locally based general contractor Pacific Building Group raised the final beam to complete or “top out” the steel structure of Alvarado Hospital Medical Center's expanded emergency department Wednesday. Hospital staff and community members signed the beam, now situated within the structure.

When complete in early 2018, the 21,000 square-foot project will provide a newly-renovated, state-of-the-art facility to the community. Originally built in 1972 with 12 beds, the updated space will offer 21 beds on the first floor, as well as a designated staff area and shell space for future expansion on the second floor.

According to Ben Macapugay, marketing manager at Alvarado Hospital Medical Center, “The expansion will greatly enhance the ability of Alvarado Hospital's Emergency Department to function as a certified heart attack STEMI center and certified primary stroke center, and make it a more effective destination for emergency care.”

In addition to the main building expansion, Pacific Building Group is completing an expanded covered driveway to the ambulance entrance, improving the adjacent emergency department parking lot, adding street lighting and sidewalks along Reservoir Dr., adding new landscaping and adding a new emergency generator and main-hospital power upgraded transformer.

“Pacific Building Group was tasked with creating a high-performance facility that would better accommodate and complement the medical talent within these walls,” says Jim Roherty, president of PBG. “Completing Alvarado Hospital Emergency Department's new steel structure marks a significant milestone in this process. We look forward to completing the project next year and providing the community with a building for state-of-the art emergency medicine services.”

Roherty tells GlobeSt.com, “Today, well-designed emergency-department facilities require a combination of adequate space and storage, aesthetic appeal and flexibility. Medical spaces also need to adapt to ever-changing models of care, as well as changes in technology and electrical and mechanical infrastructure. We work closely with our clients to build out spaces that include these elements, all while creating an environment that helps relieve stress and is easy for patients to navigate during a difficult time.”

As we recently reported, lack of certainty due to Obamacare and its possible repeal is causing doctors to pause before buying buildings or planning expansions, which is the biggest challenge to developers as well, Roherty told us. As we also previously reported, the firm has been awarded a 63,000-square-foot medical-building project in El Centro, CA,. by developer Pacific Medical Buildings.

In addition, as we recently reported, the healthcare industry has undergone tremendous changes in the last few years, and now that the House has voted to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the healthcare industry is preparing for more change. For now, developers and providers are moving forward to modernize healthcare and pushing the current initiatives included in the Affordable Care Act.

Instant Insights /

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