BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Health care construction firm Hoar Construction has begun work on a brand-new veteran health and care center, to be located in Alabama’s largest city. The facility, to be called the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, will focus primarily on the all-important area of veterans’ mental health.

Hoar is partnering with developer US Federal Properties Co. LLC of Kansas City, Mo., and architect Hoefer Wysocki of Leawood, Kan., on the project for America’s veterans, reported the Birmingham Business Journal.

The report said that the healthcare services that will be provided to veterans at the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center will include outpatient mental health care, outpatient group psychotherapy and psychiatry, intensive care management, “telehealth” programs, homeless support programs, as well as workshops and support personnel to aid in prevention of veteran suicide. The new facility will also have programs available to assist veterans who are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse. Group psychotherapy sessions will also be offered at the medical operation.

The healthcare facility for veterans will offer these services in a facility designed specifically for mental health, which will feature 60,000 square feet of healthcare space all located under the same room.

The Business Journal quoted Hoar’s vice president for healthcare, Mark Hendricks, who said that the firm is proud to be able to construct a healthcare facility for veterans in the same city in which the general contracting firm is headquartered. The new clinic will allow thousands of veterans to access “services that previously weren’t available,” Hendricks said, and he made special emphasis on the importance of America’s veterans getting access to the mental health treatment options they need.

The Alabama business website AL.com reports that the $30 million, 60,000-square-foot clinic will likely serve 25,000 veterans per year at one centralized location when it opens, which will likely be sometime in the fall of 2021. Furthemore, when the facility opens next year at 7901 Crestwood Blvd., there will be parking spaces for about 450 vehicles.

Hoar, whose worldwide operations are based out of Birmingham, has been rather active in the Yellowhammer State when it comes to healthcare construction and operations. AL.com reports that in addition to the forthcoming Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Hoar has also provided construction services for other healthcare facilities such as the Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children and Encompass Health Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital, both of which are also located in Birmingham. Other healthcare projects in Alabama include the Lakeshore Foundation campus master plan, Infirmary Health’s Saraland medical campus and the Russell Medical Total Healthcare and Urgent Care. Hoar has also provided contracting services for the University of South Alabama’s Fanny Meisler Trauma Center.

In total, their construction portfolio in the healthcare sector in 2019 topped $130 in Alabama.

Architecture firm Hoefer Wysocki’s healthcare portfolio also includes VA facilities in Phoenix, San Antonio and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

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AURORA, Co. – The highly anticipated Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center (VAMC) has finally opened its doors to patients, replacing its former 60-year-old hospital building with a new and luminous 1.2 million-square-foot facility.

The VAMC will provide care for more than 390,000 Veterans and will offer services including a 30-bed spinal cord injury clinic, aquatic therapy, mammography, and PET scans for cancer and prosthetics.

There will also be expanded telehealth services, polytrauma and a traumatic brain injury unit located on the 31-acre site. Additionally, the hospital includes 900,000-square-feet of parking space for staff and patients.

In the beginning, renovations to the Clinic [Building South], formerly University Physician, Inc., was awarded a $571 million to Kiewit Turner (KT) of Englewood and initiated construction in April 2011.

The Campus Construction project, also awarded to KT, began in November 2011 while  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued substantial completion to KT in January 2018. Turner Construction of New York also served as the general contractor.

The Center’s design concentrates on sustainability, which incorporates photovoltaic panels, solar evacuated tubing and optimal daylighting throughout the curtainwall system, all of which help produce energy-cost savings.

The Concourse building connects all buildings of the hospital, providing weather-protected access to the various services as well as a space for community.

An infusion clinic is located on the third floor, facing west, providing ideal views of the Rocky Mountains. The openness and lighting along with the artwork are there to help improve patient care and are abundant throughout the facility. There are also private rooms with an area for family members to wait and stay.

Most notably, the Spinal Cord Injury Unit (SCI) stands as one of the only 25 other facilities in this country to provide services that qualify for specific rehabilitation needs of Veterans with spinal cord injuries. The SCI also features an outdoor rehabilitation garden, allowing patients with spinal cord injuries to adapt to their chairs in a protected environment.

“Open space within the Concourse Building and throughout the campus promotes opportunities for Veterans and their families to engage with others within the Veteran community,” said Jennifer Williams, project executive, construction and facilities management of the Denver Replacement Project.

“The SCI and Mental Health have several rooms which are two person rooms to help with the peer to peer support for either the new SCI patient or a mental health patient.  The entire campus has very special design elements from showcasing each branch of service to naming the reception areas after a Colorado mountain.”

Williams continued, stating that this is to assist with wayfinding and to also provide a sense of community.  Additionally, the medical center has partnered with the VFW to bring in Veteran Artwork which is for sale, helping support Veterans as a result.

Unlike the previous facility, the new building allows the hospital to adopt new technologies with the campus having a fully integrated physical access control system, which includes both security cameras and various card readers.

The unique feature of this system is that it was integrated with the existing Eastern Colorado Health Care System which spans the entire eastern side of Colorado and into Kansas.

The campus includes many other innovative technology components to assist with patient care and patient experience, including the Sip and Puff technology that allows paralyzed Veterans to control equipment in their room with their mouths.

“The biggest challenge on this project has been shifting the focus from the problems this project faced in the past to celebrating the successes of this project today, said Williams. “This facility, which incorporates new services and technologies, will enable VA to serve nearly 400,000 Colorado Veterans and their families. Some of the most proud moments on this project have been helping a Veteran find their way to an appointment or the Canteen while listening to their comments on what a wonderful facility this really is.”

The Rocky Mountain Regional VAMC officially opened for outpatient services on July 27 and present Denver VA patients moved into the facility on August 4.

Although the facility is already open, the VA medical center is continuing its work to address the growing Veteran population in the region by guaranteeing high-quality services while a PTSD clinic is planned to be built on the campus as soon as possible.

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SAN JOSE, Calif. – Interdisciplinary architecture and design firm Hoefer Wysocki Architecture, of Leawood, Kan., completed construction of a 95,000-square-foot, three-story facility for the Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient clinic in San Jose this January.

The $40 million facility will now provide much-needed services for veterans and their families, with a new ultra-modern, sustainable design created to offer what is being dubbed as a “healing oasis” for patients at the San Jose clinic. The design was originally inspired by the scenic views of the Santa Cruz mountains, with exterior wood veneer composite panels and transparent glazing aimed to connect patients and their families closer to the outdoors as well as offer better community access.

Veterans Affairs Clinic Process Started in 2016

The first floor includes general registration, imaging, a lab and a pharmacy as well as a mental health outpatient clinic, according to a statement. The second floor will be designed for outpatient services including primary care, audiology and speech pathology, podiatry, optometry and dermatology. It is rumored that audiology, podiatry, and optometry tools will arrive in time once the floors are ready, and the third floor will be dedicated to additional specialty services including a women’s health clinic.

With the project beginning in early 2016, Hoefer Wysocki worked on an accelerated schedule, having approximately 24 months to complete construction, implementing lessons learned from previous VA facilities. With the site located adjacent to the US 101 freeway, they faced challenges in trying to position the building to achieve maximum daylight and minimum noise pollution. Using a PACT module, the design team worked toward ensuring better sight of the clinic from the adjacent freeway, securing mountain views and maintaining an optimal orientation for passive solar design to meet LEED requirements while also maximizing overall functionality within the specified budget, according to a statement.

A modular floor plan separates patient and staff corridors, reducing noise and activity levels, and contributes to a calmer healing environment. Waiting areas adjacent to exterior glass walls provide a view of the area’s mountains and plentiful daylight. An outdoor terrace on the third level also offers a haven for retreat and relaxation for patients and their families as well as clinic staff.

“This facility is being designed as a ‘healing oasis’ with a park and outdoor recreational areas,” said Hoefer Wysocki Lead Designer Hosam Habib, AIA, in a statement. “The concept is based on incorporating air, light and space so the design becomes a part of the healing process for patients.”

The San Jose community-based clinic will implement new technological tools to help maintain its modern design, with a highly efficient mechanical system to meet building requirements, second-generation glazing for solar energy, a dimming lighting system, low-irrigation plans to reduce water consumption, a solar water heater, a kiosk check-in and Wi-Fi technology for patients and staff. These features will help the clinic work toward earning its LEED Silver certification.

In addition, the campus will feature a memorial park for visitors to properly honor and thank U.S. veterans. The clinic is scheduled for occupancy in the first quarter of this year.

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