Courtesy of DPR Construction
Significant Progress!
The upper foundation pad after completion of pier drilling.
The contractors have finished drilling all 560 piers for the foundation of our new hospital! While more work continues around those piers, including concrete, pile caps, grade beams and the underground electrical and plumbing work, this is a significant step forward for the project. Very quickly, the crews will begin erecting steel at specific locations of the site (weather permitting). Later this week, perhaps as early as Friday if the weather permits, the largest crane yet on site will arrive to handle the steel loads. The crawler crane will reach a maximum height of 300 feet when it moves to the upper foundation.
Garage bridge
Work is also moving along for the ramp connecting the garage to the main hospital driveway. Rain has caused delays in this area, setting the opening back to the end of February. This new access route will greatly improve traffic flow and convenience for our patients and visitors.
The empty corridors of Laurel Grove Hospital
Also this week, the contractor took over Laurel Grove Hospital to begin abatement and deconstruction of the facility. A great deal of effort went into closing down the facility after the last patients were discharged at the end of December. Much of the equipment found new life at Eden, San Leandro Hospital and other Sutter Health affiliates. And many other organizations received supplies, equipment, furniture and more as staff cleaned out the last of the hospital before turning it over to DPR Construction. Some of the organizations that received supplies and equipment include MedShare (with much of the equipment going to Haiti relief efforts), Castro Valley Unified School District, Davis Street Family Resource Center, Fairmont Hospital and UC Berkeley Vision Sciences, to name just a few. We’ll share more information on this effort in a post from Eden Project Director Bob Bosold later this week. Laurel Grove is now secured by fencing as crews begin their detailed work before removing the building in March.
courtesy of DPR Construction
A look at the project site between the winter storms hitting the Bay Area this past week.
By Jeff Moore, President, Greenwood & Moore
Greenwood & Moore is currently completing the Phase 4 construction drawings for the hospital. Phase 4 encompasses the area directly around the new hospital. In total, there are seven individual construction phases associated with the site Civil Engineering services. Each phase of construction requires a complete set of construction documents that are coordinated with the work performed in the previous phases of construction. Had the new hospital been constructed on a “greenfield site” (raw land with no previous development) then only one set of drawings would be required. The need for seven sets of plans illustrates the challenges and complexity of constructing the new hospital adjacent to the existing hospital.
The seven phases of constructions are as follows:
Phase 1 – Demolition of the existing Pinecone Apartments and Medical Office Buildings
This work was completed in the summer of 2009. In general, this was a very straight forward scope of work. Interestingly enough, one the more challenging aspects of this phase of work were relocating the existing doctors who occupied the medical office spaces that were to be demolished. The amount of design and coordination needed to relocate the doctor’s was immense! Add to the mix, the individual personalities of the doctor’s, different lease terms, differing needs for new office space and a drop-dead demolition deadline, and you get more excitement that a civil engineer is typically used to!
Phase 2 – Construction of the new Helistop, Large Site Retaining Walls, Garage Vehicle Access Bridge and a Temporary pedestrian access bridge.
The work in Phase 2 is referred to as “Make Ready” work. That is, this work needs to be completed before significant work on the hospital can begin. The large site retaining walls, pedestrian bridge and helistop were completed in late 2009. Work on the garage vehicle access bridge continues and is expected to be completed in a few weeks. From a civil engineering standpoint, the design of the helistop was the most challenging aspect of this phase of construction. This was due to the extensive design regulations set forth by the FAA. Oddly enough, the design of the ramp leading to the helistop was particularly challenging. The height of the landing pad above the roadway, airspace clearance requirements and patient gurney maneuverability issues were all pieces of the ramp design puzzle. When all was said and done the final ramp configuration solved the hospital’s technical requirements.
Phase 3 – New Temporary Ambulance Parking
This work was simple but critical. In order to facilitate the construction of the new hospital, it is necessary to relocate the ambulance drop-off area for the existing hospital. This work was completed in late 2009.
Phase 4 – Site Improvements around the new Hospital.
This is a very complex phase of the civil engineering design services. This phase of work incorporates all of the detailed site construction around the new hospital. Some of the aspects of the phase of work are
- Soundwalls for adjacent residential areas
- New 18’ high, curved, retaining walls for the outdoor eating area
- Truck loading dock
- Site utilities
- Underground fuel storage tanks
- Underground fire sprinkler storage tank
- Mobile technology (i.e., MRI) trailer location
- Ambulance parking
Extensive coordination with the architect and other design team members is critical to make sure that all of the pieces fit together properly.
Phase 5 – Demolition of Laurel Grove Hospital and New Parking Lot
The demolition of the existing Laurel Grove Hospital and the construction of new parking on the site are the major components of Phase 5. Currently, Laurel Grove Hospital is physically connected to an existing medical office building to the north of the project. In order to remove the hospital, it will be necessary to provide minor reconstruction of the adjacent office building. The removal of Laurel Grove is expected to occur in early 2010. Its removal is critical to the construction schedule, as the site will be used for temporary construction staging and parking for the next two years.
Phase 6 – Demolition of the Existing Hospital
The removal of the existing hospital – after the new hospital is complete and everything is transferred over — will present some unique challenges. When the building is gone, there will be a very large hole in the ground that will need to be filled and a foundation that will likely remain intact. The civil engineering plans need make sure that these structures will not adversely impact the new parking lot that will be constructed on the site of the old hospital.
Phase 7 – Construction of the Main Parking Lot
Once the existing hospital has been removed, construction of the main parking lot can begin. Phase 7 and Phase 4 are the two most complex parts of the civil engineering package. The most notable aspect of the Phase 7 civil design is the stormwater control system. This system provides required treatment to rainwater run-off. From the public’s point of view, the stormwater control system looks like regular landscaping. In reality, it is a complex filtration system that helps to keep pollutants and debris out of the public creeks and storm drain system
So, there has been a lot going on in the civil engineering world. The design process will continue throughout the first half of 2010 until all aspects of the design are complete.
I welcome your comments and questions.
Bringing Health and Healing to Haiti
from Jack Alotto, President, EMC Foundation
The Canape-Vert area is shown after Tuesday night's earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
The devastation in Haiti currently streaming across our televisions and internet is nothing short of horrific.
We can do something to help. Next week the EMC Foundation will be working with the American Red Cross to collect food, clothing, and supplies, from our Eden Medical Center family of employees, volunteers and physicians. In the meantime, many of our supporters have asked how they can help, too. To give you some options for organizations that we, as individuals and as a company, have supported, here are a few ways you can help.
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
- Medical facilities in Haiti (including those managed by MSF) are damaged and most are not functioning.
- Clinics are being set-up in tents.
- As of January 14 already more than 1,000 patients have received care in four of the tent clinics set-up.
- An inflatable MSF field hospital should arrive today.
To make a gift online to support MSF’s relief operations in Haiti, contact Doctors Without Borders.
Partners in Health (PIH)
PIH needs surgeons (especially trauma/orthopedic surgeons), ER doctors and nurses, and full surgical teams (including anesthesiologists, scrub and post-op nurses, and nurse anesthetists. To donate or volunteer, contact PIH.
Oxfam America
During the next two weeks, Oxfam will coordinate international aid groups on the ground in Haiti in the delivery of emergency water and sanitation services. Water is the most critical need in a country where this week’s earthquake left at least 250,000 people homeless.
Oxfam has 200 staff members stationed in Haiti, including a highly-trained emergency response team of 15. You can help Oxfam by joining their Humanitarian Action Team or donating online.
Our Sutter Health Family Reaches Out
In a message from Pat Fry, President & CEO of Sutter Health, our Sutter Health family has also stepped up to offer aid.
“We find it difficult to comprehend the staggering human tragedy that continues to unfold in Haiti following Tuesday’s massive earthquake. Devastating events such as this compel us to look beyond our local Northern California communities to the overwhelming needs of our global community,” Fry said.
Sutter Health has a long tradition of coming to the aid of those in need, and today we commit $1.25 million to relief efforts for Haiti – plus additional resources including critical medical supplies and trained medical personnel. Our network’s donation includes:
- $1 Million: We provide these funds to Doctors Without Borders for supporting health care treatment for earthquake victims.
- Critical Medical Supplies: The Sutter Health network continues its partnership with MedShare to collect and transport much-needed medical supplies for Haiti.
- 250,000: We contribute this additional support to MedShare to cover the shipping and procurement of additional medical supplies.
- Medical Volunteers: In the days ahead, Sutter Health-affiliated hospitals and physicians will work together to send trained medical personnel to Haiti.
We encourage you to join us in supporting those in need.
Construction is moving forward for our new hospital. With the threat of rain in this week’s forecast, crews are continuing their work while prepping the site for rain. Here’s a look at a few of the significant areas of the site:
Pier drilling continues, complicated by the excess groundwater and clay soil.
Pier drilling is continuing on the upper foundation, complicated by excess water from winter storms bringing out the clay texture of the soil. The “pounding” of the drills is from the soil and clay removal from the drills, rather than from the drilling itself. The clay soil is common in parts of California.
Slurry placement as pier is drilled.
Linking the main hospital campus directly to the existing parking garage is an integral part of the project, and also improves access for patients, staff and visitors. The prep work for the garage entry is complete, and the ramp, or bridge, now has the metal decking installed.
Metal decking is now installed on the new bridge to the parking garage.
Crews are also working underground to complete many areas of the project, including the basement elevator pit, excavation of areas for underground plumbing piping and electrical conduit, and continued installation of rebar.
Underground plumbing installation
As always, we welcome your questions and comments.
From George Bischalaney, President & CEO of Eden Medical Center, to the employees, physicians and volunteers
The holiday season has been a time of joy and sharing as well as a time of reflection and appreciation for the many good things in our lives. Our family and friends are cherished most. But more than ever, we are very grateful for what we have, especially when we see so many around us suffering due to the tumultuous economy and the accompanying insecurity and distress it brings. The ongoing charitable works of prominent local agencies and organizations have been stretched beyond their capacities as a direct result of the growing demands that far exceed available resources.
As we begin the new year, I want our employees, physicians and volunteers to know how grateful I am for your contributions to Eden Medical Center and San Leandro Hospital. It is your good work and strong commitment to our patients and one another that help us succeed. Our patients and their families benefit greatly by your compassion and kindness. Regardless of what role you play at either campus of the medical center…each of us contributes, each of us makes a difference.
We have been through a lot of change this year and the cloud of uncertainty continues to hover over us. I am aware of how these changes impact you directly and indirectly. The closing of Laurel Grove Hospital at the end of 2009, the uncertainty of the future of San Leandro Hospital, and the reorganization of some of our departments within Sutter Health are having the most impact on us all. Through all of this, you have continued to give your best efforts. You have also stayed focused on our mission and purpose, which is why we are here, to best serve our patients. This was proven in the awards and recognition our hospitals received in patient safety, quality of care, innovation, compassion and excellence. And please remember, when I say our hospital received these accolades, it is you, the employees and physicians who deserve the credit. The hospital merely represents the collective efforts of you – the superb, caring, highly skilled and valued professionals – as it accepts these honors.
As we move into 2010, I encourage you to be true to yourself and to your goals. Your mental, physical and spiritual health is as important to me as that of our patients. Be kind to yourself, your loved ones, your friends, your colleagues, and all those who you touch in some small or large way each day. Maintaining a healthy balance in our lives helps us weather difficult times.
Nothing is accomplished unless we all support one another and work together. Remember who we are…what we have been charged to accomplish… and why we will continue to succeed together in 2010.
by George Bischalaney, CEO, Eden Medical Center
The end of 2009 will also mark the closing of a landmark health care provider in Castro Valley. On December 31, our Laurel Grove Hospital will close its doors permanently. It is a milestone that evokes mixed feelings. On one hand, it means the end of a valued community service and place of recovery for many people. On the other, it signals progress in the construction of the new acute care hospital for Castro Valley, San Leandro, Hayward and surrounding communities.
Laurel Grove Hospital was first opened in the early ‘60s. It was established by community physicians who felt at the time that the neighboring Eden Hospital was not meeting their needs. This was not an unusual move even for the 1960s. Doctor’s Hospital in San Leandro, now San Leandro Hospital, got its start with the same motivation.
For many years, Laurel Grove Hospital was operated as for-profit hospital. It provided medical and surgical care for numerous patients and, at one time, an urgent care clinic as well. After several changes in ownership, the leadership of Eden Hospital and the Eden Township Hospital District approached the owners and negotiated the purchase of Laurel Grove. It became a part of Eden Hospital in 1986, and has remained a valuable component of services ever since.
In 1984, two years prior to the sale to Eden, the owners decided to open an acute rehabilitation service. It was a fledgling service when Eden acquired the facility, but the potential was obvious. Soon thereafter, and following a long-term plan for the hospital, services were gradually moved next door to Eden while Laurel Grove was renovated and dedicated for use as an acute rehabilitation hospital.
As we move into a new year, a new era for health care, we need to remember how we got here. Progress is built upon the work of those who precede us. From the citizens who had the foresight and courage to establish the hospital district to the physicians who established Laurel Grove Hospital with the conviction that something could be and needed to be better. I don’t know how many people were cared for over the years at Laurel Grove, but I do know that, since my own affiliation began in 1986, it has helped scores of individuals recover from crippling strokes, head injuries and orthopedic surgery. The acute rehabilitation program, and for a time the skilled nursing service, enabled thousands of people to build strength and return to the daily routines of life.
With the thousands of patients, are thousands of individual stories. Some sad, but most are joyful with endings of maximum recovery and ongoing lives. Many of these individuals have returned annually to Laurel Grove for a reunion day, where they met with the nurses, therapists and physicians who helped them get back their lives.
Within a few months, the Laurel Grove Hospital building will be completely removed. In spite of this, it will never be completely removed from the hearts and minds of those who worked there over the years, or the patients and families who received their loving and healing care.
It’s a moment of sadness for the loss, but also a time to be grateful for having this gift, this healing place within our midst for 40 + years. Thank you to all who made this possible. Your contributions are timeless, and the memories you made will last a lifetime, and beyond for the families of those you served so well.
Physicians, staff and volunteers gathered for a closing ceremony on December 30, 2009.
Physicians, employees and patients of Laurel Grove Hospital are invited to join our Laurel Grove Hospital Alumni Facebook Group, where you can stay connected and share stories and photos.
Despite the cooler temperatures and rainstorms, work is continuing on the new hospital construction. This past week, crews continued drilling the upper foundation piers in an effort to finish all 560 piers, some as deep as 60 feet, needed for the foundation.
Photos of the Week
The concrete pours for the lower foundation are now all complete!
The lower foundation concrete pours are now complete
The elevator “pit” is taking shape as the rebar and formwork for the walls continues. And more underground work is taking place for the utilities, trenching for the drainage systems and backfilling of key areas of the lower foundation.
Better than a hole in the gound: pipe trenching at the elevator pit
Staff and visitors can see the new road installed from the main campus drive, which will eventually connect the main driveway to the parking garage. This will improve access to parking on our campus throughout the construction and once the new hospital is complete. The contractors have finished “shotcreting” the existing parking garage walls and installed the first steel beam for the bridge connecting the roadway to the garage.
Shotcreting of the garage was completed this week
Be sure to check our live WebCam to see the progress. We are even getting feedback from employees, visitors and even the helicopter operators that they check the WebCam for current weather conditions in our community. We welcome all feedback and suggestions to make this site more useful to our neighbors, community, patients, employees and the public.
The rain has slowed work down a bit, but not before crews had the opportunity to make great progress on the prep work for the foundation.
Making room for the elevator:
Rebar installation for what will be the pit of the elevator shaft
Getting ready to pour the concrete:
Installing the framework before pouring the concrete in one section of the foundation.
Here comes the rain!
Crews cover the grounds before the rain storm hits.
by Jeffrey W. Wright, Heliplanners, Aviation Planning Consultants
Heliplanners is proud to have been involved with the replacement hospital project at Sutter Medical Center Castro Valley. One of the first items in this major project was to relocate the existing at-grade helistop (helicopter landing area) to make room for construction of the new hospital building. Heliplanners was brought on board to assist the overall project team with the site selection, planning, design and permitting for the new helistop.
The selected site provides ready access to the Emergency Department while meeting all aviation design criteria including the all-important airspace obstruction-clearance criteria. The site presented some challenges to build in an area that will be used throughout construction, and then link to the new hospital once it opens in 2013. We had to take into consideration the airspace clearance, existing structures, ongoing construction and most direct access to the Trauma Center. The first step was for the construction crews to prepare the site, which was to grade a small hill just 150 feet from the existing location.
With a nod toward overall community disaster preparedness, the new helistop is designed to accommodate aircraft as large as the Sikorsky Blackhawk, which is used by most military branches including the Coast Guard and National Guard. This allows the Medical Center to accommodate that helicopter for disaster relief in event of a major earthquake, wildfire, terrorist attack, airline or train accident, etc. Of course, the typical patient transports would be provided with much smaller helicopters locally by REACH, CALSTAR, Stanford LifeFlight and CHP.
Heliplanners assisted Sutter Health’s project team by providing liaison and permitting assistance with the Federal Aviation Administration, Caltrans Division of Aeronautics and the Alameda County Airport Land Use Commission. We also assisted the project team with countless details related to construction of the helistop to ensure that, when completed, it would qualify for the Heliport Permit issued by Caltrans Division of Aeronautics during its final inspection. Caltrans inspected the helistop and issued the permit on October 27, 2009.
Heliplanners, based in Temecula, California, has assisted hospital, law enforcement, fire department and corporate clients with heliport development throughout the United States since 1987. In that time, we have been involved with well over 125 heliport projects in over 20 states. We congratulate Sutter Medical Center Castro Valley on the excellence of its approach to the entire hospital reconstruction project, providing a state-of-the-art medical center for Castro Valley residents.
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