The constant stream of technological breakthroughs in the world of medicine is a good thing for patient care. By increasing the accuracy of diagnosis and making treatment less invasive, more comfortable and more effective, countless lives are being greatly improved if not saved entirely. The medical community has historically fostered research and embraced the resulting torrent of new equipment, procedures and practices that keep and make people healthy; but it presents a challenge for medical facilities to accommodate the new machines and technical equipment. Implementing these constant changes requires specialized architects, contractors, project managers and sub- contractors.
What may seem to be a simple commercial remodel project is wrought with challenges unique to the medical field. Hospitals and clinics do not have the luxury of shutting their doors while upgrades are made. Anything from a software update to the addition of a new wing to the building must be carried out in a very sensitive environment that is often never closed. There are obvious security concerns that require background checks and clearance for anyone onsite. Working in sterile environments means that air quality standards must be constantly monitored and maintained for work to continue. There are 24 hour auditory concerns associated with healthcare environs that must be respected. According to Rick Stilson, a Project Manager for D.E. Rink Construction, “Contractors and vendors have to ‘think outside the box’ in order to come up with creative solutions to seemingly impossible problems. We once removed a section of roof, craned an MRI into the temporary skylight, then reconstructed the roof. Meanwhile, the office being remodeled remained open for business.”
To complicate matters further, the equipment often being installed or upgraded is fragile, has exhaustive specifications, delicate tolerances, does not fit through a double door or down a large corridor, comes from a global vendor, weighs several tons, costs more than a small island and, in the case of MRI machines, is counting down to self destruction if it is not hooked up to its cooling system in time. Imaging equipment requires complete isolation from the host building’s mechanical system and electrical system, seismic isolation, and both RF frequency and magnetic frequency isolation to perform as intended and provide clear images. Otherwise, a floor vacuum running in one part of the building would affect images being generated in another part of the building. Mark Cardot, a Project Manager for D.E. Rink Construction, has installed numerous MRIs, CTs, Ultrasounds and Radiology rooms for the Central Oregon healthcare community. When asked just how sensitive medical equipment can be, he replied, “An MRI room is encased in a continuous copper shield on all six sides of the room and a single pinprick in the shield will ruin image quality.”
While the minutiae associated with these highly specialized upgrades seem cumbersome, the resulting improvements carry special rewards. Solving difficult problems with creative solutions is exciting for everyone involved. Plus, helping to improve a community’s health, even in the smallest way, is a calling of the highest order.