CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Horton Automatics, a manufacturer of premium access solutions known for its expertise in serving the unique demands of healthcare applications, was chosen by a major hospital to provide a total of 125 commercial doors for its massive emergency department expansion project. The 40,000-square-foot expansion of the Lancaster General Hospital’s Emergency Department is one of the largest investments in the history of the hospital and is being developed to serve the increasingly high demand for emergency services in the Lancaster, Pa., region.

Lancaster General’s expansion project team, led by Perkins & Will Architects, chose to partner with Horton for all its pedestrian access solutions. Horton distributor, Susquehanna Door Services Inc. of New Oxford, Pa., played a pivotal role in the product specification, project coordination and installation process for all Horton door systems.

Reliable doors provided by Horton resist wear and can accommodate the steady growth of patient, staff and visitor traffic while streamlining movement and providing added security to all pedestrians. From ICU Telescoping XM (max-opening) Manual Slide Doors and automatic ProSlide® ICU Telescoping Isolation Door Systems to Heavy-Duty Swing Doors and convenient Bi-Fold Solutions, Horton is equipped to satisfy every need in the Lancaster General Hospital’s $182.5 million expansion plan.

When fully complete in 2024, the project will nearly double the current Emergency Department to 95 beds, with the capacity to serve 140,000 patients annually. Phase 1 of this impressive project has already doubled the number of trauma bays to four and added 5 behavioral treatment rooms and 12 pediatric treatment rooms.

The post PA Emergency Department Expansion Features Doors from Horton appeared first on HCO News.

LANCASTER, Pa.—Lancaster General Hospital’s new public entrance to the Emergency Department moved from Lime Street to Duke Street early this fall as Phase 1 of the Trauma and Emergency Department Expansion was complete.

Parking is now located at 555 N Duke St. with the walk-in entrance situated at 155 E James St, in Lancaster.

The new entrance on Duke Street is open for vehicle traffic and drop-offs for patients accessing the Emergency Department. Patients seeking emergency care will enter via a designated parking lot entrance along Duke Street, leading to a patient drop-off area and parking beneath the hospital.

The hospital’s James Street lobby will become the temporary entrance for walk-in access, non-emergent patient admissions, and the general public.

Features in this first phase of the Emergency Department Expansion include:

• Larger lobby
• New patient triage areas
• New patient parking lot entrance along Duke Street
• Enhanced patient and visitor security

When complete in 2024, the expansion will increase the Emergency Department to 95 beds with the capacity to serve 140,000 patients annually. The Department will also double the number of behavioral-health treatment rooms to 10; double the number of Level 1 trauma bays to four; and add 13 new pediatric-treatment rooms.

The department’s existing clinical services will remain in their current location within the hospital. In addition, ambulances will continue to access the ED via entrances along Frederick Street and Duke Street.

The architecture firm for the project is Perkins & Will and construction is being done by Benchmark Construction.

The post Lancaster Hospital Continues Emergency Department Expansion appeared first on HCO News.

JENKINTOWN, Pa. — PWI, a leading engineering and energy solutions design firm, is the recipient of the ASHE 2019 Vista Award in the category of Infrastructure for the Lancaster General Hospital Energy Center at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health.

The team, led by PWI, and working alongside Brownstown, Pa.-based Benchmark Construction and Cornerstone Design Architects of Lancaster, Pa., finished the $28.4 million, 31,404-square-foot facility in March 2017.

The result of their work is an independent energy plant which significantly lowers operational costs, reduces environmental impact and enables the hospital to be a fully functioning sanctuary in the event of a natural disaster or power interruption. The complex project realizes energy efficiencies, cost savings and the reduction of its environmental impact.

The American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association presents the Vista award to an organization that has modified or replaced major portions of a facility’s utility generation, distribution, or control systems through significant project planning.

Innovative solutions were exercised to ensure resilient and redundant power needs to last for decades and serve in times of exceptional need.

Operating for more than a year, the Energy Center’s goals for production, sustainability and operational savings have not only been met but have exceeded expectations; noting its operational costs being reduced by $938,000 in the first year alone.

Resulting from the best in class technology, a staggering regional reduction in environmental impact has been realized as well with Carbon and Carbon Dioxide reduced by 20 percent, Nitrogen Oxides by 47 percent and Sulfur Oxides by nearly 100 percent.

The timing of the project avoided the cost of replacing the traditional systems while allowing for utility rebates and state-funded grants to reduce the amount of upfront capital required.

“Our team solved some of the most complex operational and financial challenges while significantly increasing energy capacity and reducing overall costs,” said Bradley Bathgate, president of PWI. “We are incredibly proud of the results and to be recognized by our peers in ASHE is a great honor.” 

Throughout the 18 months of construction, the team worked closely with the Lancaster General Hospital facilities department and healthcare providers to keep the hospital operational and minimize patient disruption. Consideration and extensive coordination were required for clean storage relocation, helipad and ambulance routes as well as main service switchgear connections, water and steam connections and other operational impacts.

The biggest challenge of the project was that the majority of the construction took place in and over the existing operational central boiler and chiller plant while supporting all of the new equipment above. The coordination of operable equipment needed to be phased with design and energy modeling. Reality and design from a physical and operational perspective were closely connected to keep operations moving and reduce costs as much as possible. For the first time in its existence, parts of the electrical systems were shut down to allow for modifications.

“Our new Energy Center positions us for a future of greater energy reliability and sustainability at lower cost – all of which was achieved through a strong commitment to communication and problem-solving,” says Jan L. Bergen, president and CEO of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. “I am confident Lancaster General Hospital’s high-quality infrastructure will enable us to provide our community with essential clinical services well into the future.”

The post PWI Receives ASHE Vista Award for Pennsylvania Hospital Energy Center appeared first on HCO News.