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The top priority during the renovation of St. John鈥檚 Medical Center Tower was ensuring that construction operations did not compromise patient care. The multi-phased remodel of all patient rooms and public areas in the eight-floor tower took place one floor at a time, ensuring that the floors above and below the work remained fully operational.

Project team + Stats

Location: Longview, Washington
Cost: $40.01 million
Start Date: October 2005
Completion Date: May 2010
Owner/Developer: PeaceHealth
Architect: Petersen Kolberg & Associates
General Contractor: Howard S. Wright

The project team from Howard S. Wright was committed to minimizing facility service interruptions and ensuring the integrity of the equipment in the hospital. This was not an easy task because, as Josh Condon, project manager for HSW explained, there were patients and staff on all sides of construction for the majority of the project.

Transporting construction tools, material and debris were major challenges because workers shared elevators with patients and staff. HSW consequently made sure that everything that entered or exited the construction areas was clean or covered at all times.

The 1968 vintage concrete structure received seismic and mechanical, electrical, plumbing and life safety system upgrades, which were accomplished while phasing out or re-feeding the existing systems. The team also worked on nearly doubling the size of the emergency department, which is one of the busiest in Washington state.

HSW partnered with PeaceHealth, the architects at Petersen Kolberg & Associates, and the subcontractors in all stages of planning and execution.

鈥淓very detail had to be ironed out well before any work began,鈥� Condon said. 鈥淭he project was a huge team effort, and we had a superior team, bar none.鈥�

The renovation of each floor focused on increasing patient comfort and privacy. Staff and patients can now travel through the hospital privately thanks to the construction of separate elevator lobbies, which were previously shared with the public.

The Birthing Center has dropped its old shared-room concept and now offers new mothers private birthing suites with private bathrooms. The design of the psychiatric unit聽 also shifted from an open floor concept in favor of a more private, sectioned-off floor plan.

Condon described the turnover after the final phase of construction as one of the project鈥檚 most satisfying moments because the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Peace came through and blessed the renovated hospital.

鈥淭he Sisters did the blessing while all of the people involved in the project walked through the building,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat really just brought it all together.鈥�