Construction
A unique aspect of the construction project is placement of the open MRI unit, which is part of the sophisticated medical imaging center that will be located on the first floor. The 10-ton MRI from General Electric is lighter than other models that weigh as much as 40 tons. Even so, it needs special construction to compensate for ground vibrations that are caused by passing trucks and other forces, according to Allan Schettig, an architect with FreemanWhite. The MRI will be in a room consisting of a huge steel box that resembles a bank vault and is actually independent from the building structure. The MRI will be placed on a three-foot thick "floating" pad installed in a pit. A special construction process allows the supporting concrete in the bottom of the pit to float by using air compressors to lift the concrete off the supporting space. This allows for the MRI to keep its precise alignment and provide ultra-clear images.

The open MRI will be the first of its kind in the area. An open MRI has the same uses as traditional MRI but is an advantage for persons of large girth or for individuals who cannot tolerate being in a confined space. Children, too, are good candidates for open MRI because they can be attended by a parent during the examination.

In other construction developments, roof trusses have been put in place on the main building, the placement of metal decking is underway and the roofing metalwork will begin soon, according to Leonard Copeland, Project Superintendent for Bovis Lend Lease Inc. Workers also have started erecting the roof trusses on the entrance canopies.

The main chiller unit for the building has been installed. The five air handling units have been put in place near the top of the structure and the ductwork for those units is underway. Crews have completed about 60 percent of the roughing in work for the mechanical systems on the third floor, and they are ready to begin dry walling the second floor.

Operations
A committee co-chaired by Susan Cabell Mains and Marijo Lecker has been meeting regularly to identify staffing and operational needs for the Outpatient Care Center. Customer service is among the priorities for all personnel, and the committee is benchmarking several national programs. The program of the Ritz-Carlton, a two-time winner of the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, has been examined. The committee will also look at a customized program by AchieveGlobal, whose "Stellar Service" training modules will be implemented hospital-wide in 2003. The third program to be evaluated is called Starizon. Customer service training program evaluations will be completed in the next several weeks.