Arizona Hospital Expansion Aims to Offer Full-Service Wellness
By Roxanne Squires
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – HonorHealth broke ground on its sixth hospital on Dec. 5, 2018, beginning work on a new three-story, 210,000-square-foot HonorHealth Sonoran Medical Center to be built on the campus that currently houses the Sonoran Health and Emergency Center.
The hospital is one phase of the campus expansion, and consists of an inpatient hospital, ambulatory surgery center and outpatient center to help accommodate the growing health and wellness needs of north Phoenix and Anthem residents. Increasingly, Americans are discovering the benefits of health and wellness trends (like those listed at http://www.acommunityofthehorse.com/wellness-trends-on-my-2021-must-try-list/) and as such, people are investing more time and money into them. The increased importance that Americans are placing on wellness in their day-to-day lives is clearly showing and products such as shatter bars are more commonly being incorporated into their lives, perhaps in order to relieve pain, inflammation, or even for the effects of mental health issues.
In its entirety, the hospital will provide 40 inpatient beds with the ability to expand as needs for services increase; comprehensive obstetrical and gynecological care, including prenatal and postpartum care, labor and delivery services, and a Level II neonatal intensive care unit; surgical services with state-of-the-art technology and clinical expertise in joint replacement and minimally invasive orthopedic, spine and general surgery procedures, treatments and therapies; and lastly, a 24-hour emergency care for patients of all ages with staffing from residency-trained, board-certified emergency physicians using the latest technologies and treatments.
The facility is also planned as a community building with ICU beds, labor and delivery, general acute beds, catheterization room and operating rooms.
Sean Slawson, project director for McCarthy Building companies, explained that from the design and construction perspective, the team’s integrated project delivery (IPD) approach is focused on delivering upon these following goals: first, ensuring an exceptional patient experience, whereby HonorHealth Sonoran Medical Center becomes the destination of choice for wellness and healing and provides a safe and comfortable environment to all patients. Second, building a facility that provides needed services today and has flexibility to adjust for more growth or different community needs in the future. And third, creating wellness-focused environment that helps staff provide the best care possible.
The hospital is designed to create a comfortable and inviting space, filled with natural light and colors that resemble the surrounding Sonoran Desert. To uphold this concept, the design team is incorporating a courtyard in the center of the new hospital, which will provide patients, guests and staff with a place in nature where they can use to heal and rest.
The building’s façade also takes cues from the surrounding nature by utilizing several natural hues applied in a layered striated pattern reminiscent of the layers of earth apparent in the surrounding hills.
“Upon entering the building, patients and visitors will be greeted at the main reception desk that is made of natural materials to reinforce the biophilic principles of the design,” said Carol Lynn, senior medical planner for Devenney Group. “The wellness aspects of the hospital are immediately visible and accessible to all visitors from the courtyard/ healing garden located directly off the entrance lobby to the open stair that connects the upper levels positioned to promote utilization by staff & visitors in place of the elevator.”
Furthermore, patient room orientation, and family waiting rooms were positioned for the most advantageous views of the mountain scenery within the adjacent desert preserve.
And, wherever possible, the design has corridors ending in daylight to enhance the healing aspects of the campus.
“Future growth and flexibility were also key aspects of the building design. A concentrated effort was made to ensure that the diagnostic and treatment areas could expand to keep up with community demand,” said Lynn.
There is planned utilization of self-check-in kiosks at the Emergency department and main hospital admitting area to enhance the patient experience and improve hospital flow and reduce wait times.
The team has also planned the utilization of UV disinfection System. The campus is designed to incorporate robotic disinfection system to sterilize surfaces in rooms. This has been shown to reduce cross contamination, and reduce infection rates by up to 50%
Lastly, the team is seeking to provide technology solutions in every hospital room that would control the features of the room and allow each patient to adjust the light, sound and temperature to meet their personal preferences.
Ultimately, HonorHealth plans to offer the community a full-service wellness destination.
“Building on a century-long legacy of caring for our community, the HonorHealth Sonoran Medical Center will provide enhanced medical services – including labor and delivery – to residents of north Phoenix,” said Kim Post, HonorHealth CEO-hospitals and chief clinical officer. “The new hospital represents HonorHealth’s commitment to improve the health and well-being of patients in the fast-growing communities of north Phoenix and Anthem. We’ll provide comprehensive care that’s close to home.”
The existing Sonoran Health and Emergency Center, serving 17,000 patients annually, will become an outpatient center that includes a Breast Health Center, medical imaging services and space for future expansion.
Additionally, the new ambulatory surgery center on the campus will offer cost-effective, same-day surgical services and will house obstetric, pediatric, orthopedic and general surgery physician offices.
McCarthy Building Companies is the project’s General Contractor while Phoenix-based Devenney Group Architects is working as the Architect on the project, and CBRE as the construction manager.
The hospital is slated to open by September 2020.