MCALLEN, Texas—Hammes recently announced the completion of the Jackson Medical Plaza at 4211 North Jackson Road in McAllen.

Hammes developed the new 43,000-square-foot facility as a new location for Texas Digestive Specialists and The Advanced Weight Loss Center at TDS. The Jackson Medical Plaza also houses the new McAllen Surgery Center, a specialized state-of-the-art surgical facility dedicated to gastroenterological and colorectal care. It includes five procedure rooms and one operating room.

“We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from patients about our new medical office building and surgery center,” said Nolan Perez, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Texas Digestive Specialists. “This new location is comfortable and conveniently located for patients and staff alike, including gastroenterologists and surgeons now practicing out of the new surgery center.”

Hammes Partners’ Principal Justin Shea added, “We enjoyed bringing this project to life with Surgery Ventures, powered by HCA Healthcare, and Texas Digestive Specialists. We look forward to a successful partnership for years to come.”

Project partners included Boulder Associates (architect) and Vaughn Construction.

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MCALLEN, Texas—Hammes, a recognized leader in healthcare development, broke ground on the new Jackson Medical Plaza on North Jackson Road in McAllen on April 7.

Hammes is serving as the developer for the new 43,000-square-foot facility and will retain ownership upon its completion in early 2023.

Jackson Medical Plaza will serve as a new location for Texas Digestive Specialists and The Advanced Weight Loss Center at TDS as they expand their services and locations in the Rio Grande Valley. The new medical plaza will also house the McAllen Endoscopy Center, which is a joint venture between physicians and HCA Healthcare. This specialized state-of-the-art surgical facility will focus on gastroenterological and colorectal care with five procedure rooms and one operating room equipped with the latest technology. When fully ramped up, it is anticipated that the McAllen Endoscopy Center will care for thousands of patients per year and create dozens of new jobs.

Nolan Perez, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Texas Digestive Specialists, commented “We are thrilled to be expanding our services and locations in the Rio Grande Valley with the addition of this new location. We pride ourselves on comfortable, quality facilities that are reflective of the care our patients have come to expect from Texas Digestive Specialists.”

“We are proud to bring this new facility to life for Texas Digestive Specialists, the McAllen Endoscopy Center, and the McAllen community,” said Justin Shea, Principal of Hammes Partners. “We offer a proven track record as the nation’s top healthcare developer, specializing in medical office buildings, ambulatory surgery centers, and other healthcare facilities.”

Boulder Associates is serving as the architect on the project, with Vaughn Construction serving as the contractor.

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Houston-based FKP Architects served as the project’s designer and collaborated with Construction Specialties, headquartered in Lebanon, N.J., to develop decorative wall protection panels and artwork to improve the interior spaces. Construction Specialties has provided durable, functional interior wall protection systems for health care facilities for nearly 50 years. The company’s Acrovyn by Design line, a digitally printed product released just months before the start of the hospital expansion product, was featured throughout the patient-occupied areas.

Healthcare Construction + Operations News spoke with Amy DeVore, business development manager for Construction Specialties, about how these adaptable panels are helping to boost morale and improve patient health.

Q: Why is wall protection important for health care facilities?

DeVore: Hospitals receive an extensive amount of traffic. Between patients, visitors, staff, and medical equipment, food carts and cleaning equipment, the walls face heavy abuse on a daily basis. Acrovyn wall protection is not only a functional way to protect the walls in highly traversed areas, but it also supports the facilities’ infection control efforts because it’s easy to clean. Facility maintenance workers love that it offers protection for a long-term investment so they don’t often have to repair walls in a patient-populated atmosphere. Another important reason is that Acrovyn meets Class A fire characteristics.

Q: Can interior design impact patient recovery or morale?

DeVore: Health care in general really has become patient centered. Studies have shown that the patient experience can impact their recovery time; so providing well-designed facilities is definitely helping. It’s why we’re seeing natural light, gardens and play areas incorporated into modern health care design. Health care visits are generally very stressful, so providing a welcoming environment can help patients and visitors feel comfortable which in turn helps to reduce their anxiety.

The selection of calming imagery helps to provide a comfortable, healing environment. Color and fun can be added to make the space more inviting, especially in pediatric areas. With Acrovyn by Design, nearly any photo, color, message, etc., can be used to transform health care environments with feature walls and even full wall murals for a unique creation. The Acrovyn sheet acts as a protective shield not only for the images, but also the walls. So, there are also benefits for the maintenance and cleaning staff when digital wall protection is utilized. Acrovyn by Design also doesn’t off-gas after installation, which can also help patient recovery by eliminating potential sensory triggers.

Q: How can wall protection systems cater specifically to children and teenage patients?

DeVore: Children like seeing children’s artwork, and they can relate to their own artwork. At Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, an art contest was held for local young people. The selected pieces were actually reproduced on Acrovyn by Design. Of course, pediatrics typically range from newborns up to 18 year olds. Facility designers can develop an ideal age-appropriate environment by relying on the experts and professionals who know how to keep colors and age-range broad.

Q: How was the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children project a success?

DeVore: It wasn’t a typical corridor application for wall protection. The children’s artwork was actually installed on patient room doors to create movement and add a little extra ambiance to the facility. The architect and contractor worked well with our internal staff establishing a comfortable, open dialogue. This customer partnership allowed us to be successful as we worked through the final development of the Acrovyn by Design line. We know the facility was very pleased with the outcome.

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