MILWAUKEE—Architecture and design firm Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA), which is based in Wisconsin’s largest city, has completed an adaptive reuse project in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. The old building, which was built in 1847, has been converted by EUA to be a clinical location called the Ascension Medical Group–Historic Third Ward Clinic Project.

The 11,000-square-foot clinic is located at 176-184 N. Broadway.  Ascension has since transferred their operations to the Historic Third Ward location from its previous downtown location. The new site is more centrally located within Milwaukee’s urban environment and is more accessible to foot traffic and public transportation. Despite being in a building first built in the 19th century, the new clinic will offer state-of-the-art medical facilities to its patients. Services offered will include women’s health, labs, X-ray and ultrasound facilities, and other amenities.

In an informational brief provided to HCO News, designers at EUA said that the adaptive reuse and renovation “revitalized” the former home of the Milwaukee Fire Department’s Engine Company No. 10. After its time as a firehouse was up, the structure then became utilized for retail purposes before its reimagining by the firm for healthcare purposes.

EUA’s design motif ensured a building that was not only functional but pleasing to the eye—and while respecting the classical architecture of the structure. In that light, the renovation kept the overhead garage door and fireman statue at the main entrance.

“The design team approached the building with the mindset of ‘What can we preserve?’ while also always understanding the specific needs of a medical clinic,” the firm said in its statement. “The historic façade could not be changed, so the large garage door remains and allows the waiting areas to open to the street in warmer months. The coffered retail ceiling was retained and, along with newly exposed brick, creates a comfortable registration and waiting space.”

One of the biggest challenges for the designers was a disparity between the floor levels of two renovated areas, which differed by several feet. However, EUA said this offered a chance to use the firehouse space for non-clinical registration and create waiting areas for patients and their families prior to them moving upwards into the clinical setting.

Additionally, the historic structure’s tight column spacing required the designers to be flexible and innovative while fashioning a space that is up to date with healthcare standards and local building codes.

The clinic’s location will allow the facility to serve a younger demographic, which has been gravitating towards the Historic Third Ward.

EUA’s project team included senior project manager Carla Day-Dziubek, senior design architect David Groth, interior designer Anne Williamson and project architect Zak Kvasnica.  Wisconsin’s own JP Cullen served as the general contractor.

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MILWAUKEE — Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin announced plans to build a new, small-scale community hospital near its Drexel Town Square Health Center in Oak Creek as the health network seeks to alleviate capacity limitations at its leading Wauwatosa hospital and expand its presence south of Milwaukee.

According to the hospital’s website, Froedtert Hospital’s occupancy is one of the highest in the state, often exceeding 85 percent with its emergency department being among the region’s busiest.

As a response from the health network – the new hospital, known as the “neighborhood hospital,” will offer eased access and efficiency to its emergency and inpatient care while being in close proximity to where people both work and live.

The new 18,000-square-foot hospital will include a 24/7 seven-bed emergency department and eight inpatient beds for patients requiring additional care, observation and tests.

The facility will also feature laboratory, pharmacy and imaging services, designed to treat medical emergencies that require attention beyond an urgent care clinic’s capability.

The neighborhood hospital will also employ Medical College of Wisconsin emergency physicians as well as experienced registered nurses which is projected to see about 15 to 25 patients per day and will employ about 40 full-and part-time staff.

“We see the neighborhood hospital as a way to keep high-quality care close to home in a convenient setting that is easy to navigate,” said Cathy Jacobson, president and chief executive officer of Froedtert Health in a press release. “It also will fill a need for this level of care in Oak Creek, which currently does not have a hospital.”

Jacobson continued, explaining that Froedtert hospital treats numerous patients from the Oak Creek area, which currently does not have a hospital, serving approximately 80 people per day who have traveled from Oak Creek over the last five years.

“It makes sense to provide emergency and inpatient services in their community,” said Jacobson.

The hospital is projected to cost about $10 million and although it will not be able to provide surgical services, it will be an option for some patients who require an overnight stay, such as those who are dehydrated or who have pneumonia, according to the Journal Sentinel.

Froedtert has joined Tandem Hospital Partners to create this micro hospital, a Houston, Texas-based firm that runs several other neighborhood hospitals across the country.

The health network presented the concept in May when plans were announced for a similar project in Mequon. The Mequon neighborhood hospital is also scheduled to open in early 2020.

The Froedtert & MCW health network includes five hospitals with more than 1,600 physicians and nearly 40 health centers and clinics, drawing patients from throughout the Midwest and the nation. In their most recent fiscal year, outpatient visits exceeded 1.1 million, inpatient admissions to their hospitals were 49,250 and visits to our network physicians totaled 932,000.

Froedtert Hospital hosts 585-beds and is nationally recognized for their physicians and nurses, research leadership, and state-of-the-art treatments and technology. It serves as an eastern Wisconsin referral center for advanced medical care in 37 specialties and is a major training facility with more than 1,000 medical, nursing and health technical students in training.

Reports from the Journal Sentinel and Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin contributed to this story.

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