“We’re thrilled to have earned this,” said Lindy White, MSHA vice president and CEO of Smyth County Community Hospital in a statement. “We worked hard from the very beginning on this. As we put together the design, we knew we wanted to be environmentally friendly.”

The new facility opened on April 14 as a replacement for an old hospital located nearby that had been in operation since 1967.

Smyth County Community Hospital, constructed by Skanska USA, offers a range of surgical services, a 24-hour emergency department, state-of-the-art imaging equipment, inpatient care including rehab services, infusion and oncology services and an intensive care unit, among other services.

“In a great design-build relationship with Earl Swennson and Associates, we’re thrilled to have been able to achieve LEED Silver certification through working closely together with Smyth County Community Hospital,” said Dennis Georgatos, project executive for Skanska USA.

“As a team, we were able to make adjustments to the initial design and provide products with a higher recycled content and use building materials manufactured regionally,” added Georgatos. “Early involvement in the design was definitely a key component in achieving higher than expected results for this project.”

The hospital is the third LEED-certified facility to be built by MSHA. Franklin Woods Community Hospital in Johnson City, Tenn., was also certified LEED Silver, and Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon, Va., was certified LEED Gold.

“We’re proud to be a good partner with the community by constructing a building that is friendlier to the environment,” said White in a statement. “This offers better quality of air and improved use of important resources like water. It’s good for our patients, our team members and the whole community.”

Sustainable Features of SCCH
Indoor-air quality: Through efficient ventilation systems and ongoing monitoring, the quality of the air inside and outside of the building is maintained at a high level to ensure guest comfort and well-being.

Water-use reduction: Through the use of low-flow water closets, urinals, lavatories, showers and kitchen sinks; the facility achieves a water-use reduction of 30 percent.

Energy efficiency: Efficient heating and cooling systems have been installed. These systems are commissioned by an organization designed to assess energy performance and economic impact.

Water-efficient landscaping: Water consumption for landscaping on the campus is 50 percent less than traditional landscape designs in the area.

Environmentally-friendly construction materials: Eco-friendly, low-emitting materials were used during the construction of the building, including adhesives and sealants, paints and coatings, carpet and composite wood.

Recyclables: More than 50 percent of the waste materials from the construction of the hospital were diverted from the landfill. Paper, cardboard, plastic and metals are collected in designated areas for recycling.

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Together with patient suites, the 150,000-square-foot, four-story facility includes 60,000 square feet of separate medical office space, over 34,000 square feet of retail space and a 600-car parking structure. The hospital features 30 patient rooms, sized at 250 square feet per room; 12 operating rooms; and 14 VIP patient suites, with attached family areas at 375 square feet.

“It does not feel like a hospital when you walk in. When you enter there is a grand staircase that goes up two stories,” said Sean Kirton, project manager and designer with BOKA Powell LLC. “The lighting is really special; there are LED lights with a metal chain that hangs from the [staircase] handrail and the light captures it. It’s like if you walked into a hotel lobby.”

“People come into the hospital just to eat lunch; the dining room is so amazing. You would think you were in a restaurant somewhere that has nothing to do with a hospital,” Kirton added.

The facility is a new representation for health care, where the physicians buy-in to the hospital like shares, and therefore own a portion of the hospital. Physicians don’t take Medicare or Medicaid, making it a private-pay model. The project cost was approximately $60 million.

The ambiance for the hospital was designed after BOKA Powell LLC toured resorts and spas around the country, most notably in Las Vegas.

“The typical Forest Park Medical Center patient has high service expectations, and we wanted our design to respond accordingly,” said Don Powell, principal of BOKA Powell LLC in a statement. “We worked to emulate the richness, drama and lighting quality of what we saw, as our goal was to create a first-class environment where patients can heal most comfortably.”

The building’s exterior incorporated 20th century building details with modern finishes to embody the art deco period that Frisco Square requires in any facilities built.

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