ESa worked with CHI Memorial Hospital to develop a long-term master plan for the campus, deciding on a long-term replace-in-place approach strategy due to cost. In the plan, multiphased hospital campus improvements condense services into cohesive units to support operational efficiencies. Waiting areas align along a public spine, connecting the north and south side of the campus and minimizing the hospital’s public presence.
Plans call for more parking, safe/clear pedestrian paths, and intuitive wayfinding, all while applying lean design principles. Phase I added a new clinical decision unit, upgraded utilities and relocated the central energy plant to modernize equipment and create space for upcoming construction phases. Phase II began with the construction of the South Tower, including an expansion to the surgical suite with 10 new ORs. A new layout increases the number of rooms to accommodate the expanded surgical suite and locates pre-op next to the PACU. A 16-bed CVICU suite sits adjacent to the surgical suite, creating a streamlined patient flow. Central sterile supply’s relocation allows for better accessibility to surgery.
During the planning process, Chattanooga Heart Institute merged with the hospital to create one cohesive heart center. An existing MOB was encapsulated by the new North Tower, creating a single new entry point. From the first level, patients/visitors can access the non-invasive cardiology center, second floor cath labs/outpatient lobby, all levels of the MOB, and new patient rooms in the North Tower with connection to the existing building. At the second level, a new outpatient lobby connects the MOB clinical spaces with the existing hospital. A cath lab suite is located adjacent to the outpatient lobby, ED, and helipad elevator.
A process of replacing-in-place the existing North Tower beds was developed to include 126 new patient rooms (106 acute care and 20 CCU). It is designed for vertical expansion of three additional floors and horizontal expansion of a mirrored footprint to double the tower’s size in the future.
North Tower Photos: © Michael Peck; South Tower Photos: © Kieran Reynolds Photography
