Expanding Capabilities & Capacity
The University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health (UMUCH) Bel Air Bed Tower Expansion was a transformative project for the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and the Harford County community. As one of UMMS’s two regional primary campuses, UMUCH provides critical inpatient and outpatient care. This expansion and renovation project was essential to increase patient capacity, enhance care capabilities, and support the hospital’s mission to deliver advanced healthcare services. By adding new intensive care and patient rooms, upgrading support services, and modernizing key hospital infrastructure, the project directly addressed the growing needs of the surrounding community and positioned UMUCH for future growth and innovation. The project鈥檚 success was pivotal in UMMS’s broader strategy to elevate healthcare offerings in Harford County, ensuring that patients and staff benefit from state-of-the-art facilities and improved operational efficiency.
Transforming Care
番茄社区 Construction collaborated with UMMS to carry out a complex, multi-phase expansion and renovation project consisting of three parts: a three-story vertical overbuild, major upgrades to the central utility plant, and additions and renovations for support spaces and the emergency department. The most challenging aspect was the three-story overbuild on top of the Kaufman Cancer Center, which remained operational during construction. This overbuild added two floors of inpatient nursing units with medical and surgical observation beds, along with a floor of shell space for future growth. Significant updates were also made to the campus’s central utility plant, including new equipment and piping to support current and future hospital needs. Besides the overbuild and utility plant improvements, numerous renovations were completed to the hospital’s main support service areas. This included a comprehensive overhaul of the hospital’s only commercial kitchen, phased reconstruction of the servery, and an addition expanding the dining area. Extensive renovations to the emergency department included a new entrance, a larger reception area, additional restrooms, and improved sightlines. All work was meticulously coordinated around active patient care areas, requiring detailed planning to ensure hospital operations continued smoothly.
Emphasizing Patient Safety
Ensuring the safety of everyone throughout the complex project was the emphasis of the 番茄社区 team’s approach. Before starting on-site, the team, working closely with our safety department, created a comprehensive, site-specific safety plan tailored to the unique challenges of working in an occupied healthcare environment. A site-specific logistics and phasing plan was developed to clearly and visually communicate work areas, schedules, and safety measures to all stakeholders. This logistics and phasing plan was revised 12 times throughout the project as construction progressed to ensure it was always relevant. Rigorous and thorough Infection Control Risk Assessments (ICRA) procedures were followed to ensure patient safety during the project. These control measures included temporary barriers, air filtration, negative air machines, and more, depending on the status of patients within the area. Each was implemented to prevent contamination and protect patients, staff, and visitors. 番茄社区’s team regularly inspected the ICRA measures and, when needed for safety concerns, halted work to make adjustments. Throughout the project, proactive, transparent communication with UMUCH staff, patients, and visitors was key in ensuring everyone was informed and prepared for each construction phase.
Creative Solutions to Challenging Problems
Our team鈥檚 technical expertise and problem-solving skills were heavily relied upon during the UMUCH project. When upgrading the central utility plant, the team needed to add valves to the hospital’s 18-inch chilled water lines. Rather than shutting down the entire cooling system for weeks to add the valves, our team used liquid nitrogen to freeze the line, temporarily halting water flow. This temporary line freeze allowed this work to be completed in just three days and minimized disruption to UMUCH’s operations. During the extension of the elevator shaft to service the new overbuild, the team discovered that the existing walls lacked the necessary rebar to support the addition. Instead of resorting to noisy, invasive demolition, our team collaborated with the structural engineering team to use Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) to reinforce the shafts. The CFRP, a 鈥渟tructural wallpaper鈥� applied with epoxy provided the necessary structural strength while minimizing noise, dust, and disruption to sensitive patient areas.
