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.

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.

Now you can watch the construction live, track the progress and even view time lapse images of the construction site. Our new WebCam gives you 24-hour access to the action.

Crews have been working hard since July 1, 2009, to grade the property and move the helicopter landing site to make way for the foundation. The project now has approval from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) for the first phases of construction, and the contractors are working to make progress before the late fall rainy season.

View the live WebCam of Sutter Medical Center Castro Valley.

George Bischalaney, President and CEO, Eden Medical Center

By George Bischalaney, President & CEO, Eden Medical Center

Health care reform is on the agenda, again. The stakes are high, but our President is determined to make some significant changes. As the discussion moves from general to specifics, special interests are staking out their positions. None of the stakeholders—hospitals included—wants to feel the impact or be at a disadvantage.

Amidst the demand for cost reduction and health care coverage for all, there is and must be continued investment in care. Physicians demand it. They expect to be able to practice with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to produce outcomes that meet national, state and local quality standards. Patients demand it. They want to know that their local hospital has the right number of well-trained staff as well as the latest diagnostic and treatment equipment, and contemporary facilities.

With this backdrop of conflicting needs, Eden Medical Center is about to begin a three-year project that will result in the replacement of the Castro Valley hospital. The project cost is estimated to be $320 million. The current 55-year-old building is anything but contemporary. With few private rooms, small operating rooms and inadequate support space for clinical services, a new hospital is very much needed.

Eden Medical Center has served the community well, but it was not designed for patient comfort and needs, more for staff needs and functionality. While our project may seem ill timed given the uncertainty of hospital reimbursement, we are required to meet California legislated standards for seismic safety in hospitals. And it truly is needed.

We’ll celebrate our long sought goal with a ground-breaking ceremony on July 1st. Then we’ll spend the next three years continuing the investment in the new buildings and equipment, while observing and hoping that decision makers do not enact legislation that essentially penalizes us for the commitment we are making. When we celebrate the grand opening and our new beginning early in 2013, it should be with the same hope and dreams as those who celebrated the first ceremony in 1954.

By Cassandra Clark, Project Communications Director

After much debate and public input, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to certify the EIR (Environmental Impact Report) and approve the zoning and land use entitlements for the new hospital to replace 54-year-old Eden Medical Center.

Passage of the EIR and land use entitlement approvals is a major milestone for the Sutter Medical Center Castro Valley project—and the communities that will be served by this new, state-of-the-art hospital and adjoining medical office building.

About 20 speakers addressed the Board of Supervisors about the new hospital as well as concerns about future plans for San Leandro Hospital. Eden President & CEO George Bischalaney expressed to the Board members the overwhelming support for the new hospital, even among those who encouraged rejection of the EIR to “save San Leandro Hospital.” Bischalaney and others urged Board members not to delay approvals in order to meet “a very tight project timeline” and advised the Board not to tie the new hospital project to the uncertainty around San Leandro Hospital’s future.

In the end, the Board of Supervisors maintained that its obligation was to make a decision on the land use entitlement proposal before them. However, Board members promised to continue to work with Sutter and the District to come up with an optimal plan for San Leandro Hospital, and to meet the health care needs of the communities.

We are grateful to the many people of Eden Medical Center, San Leandro Hospital and our communities for participating in this process. We had tremendous support at both Board of Supervisors meetings, through the petitions, and all the phone calls and letters of encouragement.

What Happens Now?

The Board’s approval clears the way for SMCCV to use the designated property to build the new hospital, which will be on the northwest side of the Eden Medical Center campus, adjacent to the existing hospital.

In the coming weeks, we will file the appropriate permits to begin work on the land, including the demolition of the vacant apartment building and other site improvements, and the foundation work for the actual construction of the new hospital. Oversight and approval for the further construction is handled by the
California Office of Statewide Health Planning & Development.

The immediate work around the campus will get the land ready for construction and help minimize delays so we can proceed with building the new hospital as soon as possible in order to meet the deadline for State-mandated earthquake safety requirements.

We look forward to moving ahead with the project. As always, your questions and comments are welcome on this blog and on our social networks!