John Muir Medical Center—Walnut Creek Campus "Tops Out" New Patient Care Tower

John Muir Medical Center — Walnut Creek Campus will celebrate a construction milestone with the placement of the final steel beam atop the structure for The Thomas J. and Muriel T. Long Patient Care Tower. The installation of the last beam indicates that the highest point of construction has been reached and completed.

The 35-foot long beam will be lifted into place and installed atop the five-story steel structure by a large red crane. Hanging on the beam will be an American flag, symbolizing American tradition and patriotism, and on top of the beam an evergreen tree will stand, signifying a job well done and a good omen for the future inhabitants of the building.

Topping Out

The custom of topping out dates back to around 700 AD, when Scandinavians topped off construction of new halls with sheathes of grain for good luck. The Vikings spread this custom across the European world. Britons and Germans later substituted small trees for sheathes of grain. And Americans added their own twist by hoisting an American flag beside the tree.

Installation Ceremony

The installation will take place on Wednesday, November 19, 2:30 p.m., at the construction site near the temporary main entrance of the hospital. The ceremony will begin with brief speeches, and then guests will be invited to move out of the tent to observe the placement of the beam. Light refreshments will be served.

More details about John Muir Health can be found at johnmuirhealth.com.

About the Project

The new five-story plus basement, 380,000-square-foot tower �¢ï¿½ï¿½ The Thomas J. and Muriel T. Long Patient Care Tower �¢ï¿½ï¿½ on the John Muir Medical Center �¢ï¿½ï¿½ Walnut Creek Campus will house 242 beds, including 230 new private rooms, a 24-bed ICU and a 35-bed intensive care neonatal nursery. It will also house 3 new operating rooms accommodating innovations well into the future, and a dramatic enhancement of emergency services, including four trauma beds and forty one non-trauma emergency treatment stations, doubling current capacity.

Facts at a Glance

• Groundbreaking Ceremony: January 16, 2008
• 5-story plus basement, 380,000-square-foot patient care tower
• Addition of 230 private and 6 semi-private rooms (new beds: 242)
• Total number of beds, including existing beds planned to remain, is 416.

Project Highlights

• Surgical Services will include 13 inpatient surgical suites located adjacent to the ICU and designed for current and future technology advances, such as intra-operative MRI and robotic surgery (Notable facts: distinguished in the region for surgical innovation and reputation for excellence in trauma, critical care, cardiac, neurological and orthopedic surgery)
• Emergency Services will double capacity from 22 beds to 45 beds, with trauma beds increasing from 2 to 4 and non-trauma emergency treatment stations increasing from 22 to 41. In addition, the helipad will be relocated to the tower rooftop and a high-speed elevator from the roof to the Emergency Department (Notable facts: designated Trauma Center for Contra Costa County and portions of Solano County, currently log in 48,000 emergency visits annually, and provide specialized emergency care for individuals experiencing chest pain or a stroke)
• Critical Care Services includes the addition of 24 private, spacious critical care rooms with advanced equipment at the bedside and the availability of around-the-clock, real-time audio and video monitoring of ICU patients
• Intensive Care Neonatal Nursery includes an increase from 19 to 35 state-of-the-art infant beds, lighting to mimic day/night cycles, and private and semi-private, noise-reducing rooms for parents to bond with their critically ill newborns
• Patient Rooms includes the addition of 230 private and 6 semi-private, patient-centered rooms to accommodate optimal patient safety, care and comfort (and representing a 27 percent increase in overall patients beds Ã�¢ï¿½ï¿½ from 324 to 416)

Architect and Builders

• Contractor: Clark Construction Company
• Architect: Ratcliff
• Structural Engineer: Arup
• Mechanical/Electrical Engineer: Mazzetti & Associates
• Civil Engineer: Kier & Wright
• Construction Manager: Jtec HCM

(Posted November 24, 2008)