Cherokee Indian Hospital Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

CHEROKEE, N.C. — On Oct. 15, the Cherokee Indian Hospital held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the tribe’s new $80 million hospital facility. The 150,000-square-foot hospital, which is owned and operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, will begin fully serving patients on Nov. 16, according to a statement from Los Angeles-based CBRE Healthcare, the project manager. The pharmacy, which will be accessible by a drive-through window or by walkway, was the first department to open on Oct. 19.

All resources will be moved in phases to the new facility before full operations begin. “Our entire operation will begin seeing patients on Nov. 16 after a phased move of equipment and resources. This move will not impact patients directly, and we expect no disruption of services from Friday to Monday morning,” said Casey Cooper, chief executive officer of the Cherokee Indian Hospital, in a statement.

The project began almost two years ago and used an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) agreement. Through the IPD approach, the Cherokee hospital was able to realize $7 million worth of added value and gain an additional two months from the original schedule, according to Tim McCurley, director of project management for CBRE Healthcare. This approach also allowed the project team to beat the local participation goals that were set by the hospital. Greenville, S.C.-based Design Strategies served as the architect on the project, while Raleigh-Durham, N.C.-based Robins and Morton served as construction manager.

The Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority, which formed in 2002, has worked to receive funding for the project and improve services for the care of tribal members. “We believe that we can serve our community better than anyone else and we are committed to that goal,” said Cooper in a statement. “We believe that the new building will help us foster an environment of wellness so our patients don’t just come to us when they are sick, they come to us as friends and partners in wellness.”

Patient care has become a large focus for the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority. Linda Sadler, principal and senior technology consultant with Nashville, Tenn.-based Smith Seckman Reid, Inc., engineering design and facility consultant firm, said that the technology systems were specifically selected and implemented to support the Cherokee’s commitment to patient care.

Daily project implementation meetings were held after the IPD process advocated for the meetings. The meetings included the architect, engineer, contractor, subcontractor and a representative from CBRE Healthcare. The daily gatherings allowed for integrated design and management which made reaching the budget and schedule milestones possible, according to a press statement from CBRE Healthcare. The health care network believes that meeting these milestones is a testament to the efficiency that the IPD approach offers.