Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital reached capacity soon after it opened in 2014. The surrounding community needed a facility with additional capacity and the space to pioneer new programs, technology, and innovations to meet growing regional healthcare needs.
The solution was to build a new three-story expansion wing, situated on the east side of the hospital, tied to the existing structure at the 1st and 2nd floors. The expansion adds 58,000 square feet of space and includes an additional 40 patient beds in all-private rooms, two operating rooms, one endoscopy and gastroenterology room, 20 intensive care unit beds, and 11 post-anesthesia care unit bays.
A core driver to the HerreroBoldt joint venture success was a commitment to Lean principles, specifically the pillars of ‘Respect for People’ and ‘Continual Improvement’ that manifested throughout the project’s culture. By utilizing an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) arrangement that included an Integrated Form of Agreement (IFOA), the team benefitted from early and ongoing integration and a “project-first” mentality.
To avoid disruption to ongoing patient care, the team developed a phasing plan that allowed departments and services to move in and safely occupy parts of the expansion wing while the renovation work was still underway. Multi-disciplinary “swarms” — full-team collaboration to solve emerging constraints — helped keep the schedule and budget intact. Team-building exercises, including afternoon picnics, cornhole tournaments, and onsite vegetable gardening, occurred throughout to maintain and celebrate the great team chemistry.
In the interest of continuous improvement and to get the building weather-tight ahead of the rainy season, the team researched options for an innovative exterior skin. The expansion is the first ever HCAi (formerly OSHPD) project to utilize a prefabricated, panelized exterior skin system of this kind, saving almost $1,000,000 and three months on an already tight schedule, as well as reducing safety risks. It took collaboration with the IOR and design team to engage HCAi early to get buy-in on the process and guarantee a successful fabrication, inspection, and signoff.
A true collaboration, even the nursing staff provided input during the early design phases, which was then incorporated into the final design. The hospital features a modern design, new technology, and the best in green building construction while embracing the future of the neighborhood and community.
Despite coordination and construction occurring during the Covid-19 pandemic, regional wildfires, and excessive heat waves, each threatening to delay or halt construction, the project hit all its scheduled targets. The new tower successfully opened to patients on May 3, 2022.
