Building for the Future Despite the Economic Challenges of Today

CINDY SANDERS

Top: Baptist Beaman NICU; Right: Belmont School of Pharmacy Rendering; Bottom: Caldwell Professional Plaza

Although the current recession might be the impetus to scale back, delay or even scrap some construction plans in Middle Tennessee, many ambitious healthcare industry projects have been given the green light. Below is a synopsis of several projects that have recently been announced, are in process, or have just been completed.

If you have updates on other construction projects or general news pertaining to Middle Tennessee healthcare companies and facilities, please be sure to keep Nashville Medical News in the loop by sending information to editor@nashvillemedicalnews.com.

Baptist Hospital

Baptist Hospital's Level III NICU is being expanded from 27 to 52 beds, which has an estimated project cost of $9.6 million. The new Beaman Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will occupy 20,126 square feet of space, more than five times the current NICU space. The unit has been named in honor of lead donors Nashvillians Lee and Kelley Beaman and the Alvin and Sally Beaman Foundation. The space creates a healing environment for the most vulnerable babies, their families and the medical team with an open and inviting design, innovative lighting and sound controls and soft, elegant colors and curved, flowing lines throughout that help soothe, comfort and nurture. Phase I was completed last year and Phase II … the final phase … will be completed this month. Turner Universal is serving as construction manager with Thomas Miller & Partners as architect and Smith Seckman Reid as engineer for the project.

Belmont School of Pharmacy:

On October 28, 2008, Belmont University broke ground on an estimated $30 million construction project, which will become the permanent home of the School of Pharmacy and will also house the university's School of Physical Therapy and will include expansion space for the Schools of Nursing and Occupational Therapy, as well as the Social Work and Psychology programs. Designed by Earl Swensson Associates with construction to be done by R.C. Mathews, the 90,000-square-foot building will contain top-notch laboratories for both student and faculty research. In addition, the facility will emphasize integrated, "hands on" experiential learning components through medical simulation spaces and a licensed, state-of-the-art pharmacy. The building will also include a four-level underground parking garage to provide additional spaces for Belmont's growing student body. The anticipated completion date is June 2010.

Caldwell Professional Plaza

Located within the Village Commercial District in Mt. Juliet, this 22,000 square-foot, two-story medical office building should be ready for occupancy in early 2009. The space was designed to house dental and other medical offices. Civil Site Design Group PLLC is the project manager, and Bob Archer, DDS, is the anchor tenant.

Centennial Medical Center

Last January, Centennial Medical Center received the green light on a $143 million campus expansion project that includes the addition of 51 licensed beds and major medical equipment at its main campus. Major components of the project include a dedicated Cancer Center, Phase I of a dedicated Heart and Vascular Center, an expanded dedicated Neuro ICU, and additional Orthopaedic and Neurosurgery post-operative beds to accommodate increasing volumes. The Cancer Center will integrate inpatient nursing units, radiation oncology, operating rooms, a new comprehensive cancer imaging center, outpatient services and laboratory services. Additionally, it will have specific units for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Hematological Malignancy, Medical Oncology and Surgical Oncology with Middle Tennessee's first dedicated stereotactic radiosurgery system, an Accuray Cyberknife. The first phase of the Heart and Vascular Center will begin to integrate all cardiovascular services, including inpatient nursing units, surgical/procedural areas, outpatient diagnostics and new cardiac state-of-the-art technologies, including hybrid OR capabilities that integrate advanced imaging technologies into the surgical arena. Earl Swensson Associates, Inc. has been named architect for the project, which is expected to be completed in 2010.