91ÊÓƵ

An expansion/remodel is in the works at Providence St. Vincent’s emergency department in Portland. The work, designed by JRJ Architects, is a multi-phased renovation of the existing emergency department, located on the existing lower level of the Phil and Penny Knight Pavilion.

Contractor Lease Crutcher Lewis will begin construction in January. Construction is estimated to be complete in January 2025.

The project owner is Providence Health Systems. Other consultants on the project include PAE, Catena Consulting Engineers and KPFF Consulting Engineers.

Sean-Scott Ingersoll, project manager at JRJ Architects, said his firm began working on schematic design in the summer of 2021 and developed the design this year. Providence St. Vincent had conducted studies on efficiencies and improvements in efficiencies for the hospital and JRJ Architects took those recommendations and put together a schematic design.

The scope of the work of the project includes remodeling and hardening the entry/security/arrival zones; new fast track and results pending spaces; new and updated nurse stations and employee work areas; increased exam room counts and treatment spaces for the current pods; and a new diagnostic imaging department with three general radiology machines, two CT scanners and an ultrasound room.

Currently, drop off patients enter and exit through the same entry.

“We’ve specifically taken the entry to this and separated it from the exit so there’s a more efficient through-put of patients coming into the space versus those after they have been checked out and been released come out through a separate set of doors,” Ingersoll said.

Patients will now enter through the southwest corner of the building and be met with the security space. The layout will allow staff to have complete visibility of the waiting area.

Many of the nurse stations were brought up to current code in regard to having separate medication dispensing areas. Those areas will be separate, more secure and efficient. Nurse stations will be scattered throughout the emergency department, with smaller decentralized stations rather than one centralized station.

There will be a new and expanded staff break room area. Currently, the staff break room is in the middle of the emergency department.

“We’re excited because we were able to place it on an exterior courtyard wall so that the break room will now be able to look into an interior courtyard, some green space, daylight, that kind of thing, so when providers are off stage they have a bit of a more peaceful, relaxing space to be,” Ingersoll said.

Also included in the project is a relocated secure behavioral health department and adjacent flex room spaces that allow for use as either medical or behavioral health rooms. Ingersoll is excited about the flex rooms, as they can adjust to whatever the need is.

There will also be new locker rooms and updates made to the pediatrics area. The footprint of the pediatrics area is essentially staying the same, with some improvements made to nurse stations, the rooms, as well as the flex spaces.

The project will include all related interior finish, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, low voltage, security and fire protection/fire alarm systems work as required and includes vital infrastructure improvements to support the department. The approximate square footage is 57,250 square feet.

The emergency department must continue to be operational and functional during the project. There are multiple phases and sub-phases required in order to maintain operations, as well as keeping the available exam room count to an acceptable minimum number during each phase of construction.

On the Boards is a 91ÊÓƵ feature offering a look at projects in Oregon and Southwest Washington being tackled by local architecture firms. To have your firm’s projects considered, contact the 91ÊÓƵ at 503-802-7221 or [email protected].