A multi-million dollar renovation and expansion project is transforming the Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston.
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center photo.
A total of 1.34 million sq. ft. (124,490 sq m) will be added to the hospital.
A $650 million renovation and expansion project is transforming the Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston. Part of the Memorial Hermann Health System, the hospital was the first to open in the Texas Medical Center. Known as the Breaking New Ground project, highlights include a new, state-of-the-art patient care tower and a second building with parking and infrastructure capabilities to support future growth and renovation of existing pavilions on the sprawling campus.
The project began in 2014 and is currently on schedule for a 2019 completion date. The contract was awarded to Balfour Beatty Construction.
There will be two new buildings — one patient care tower and one parking and infrastructure building. The 15-floor patient care tower will house the Texas Trauma Institute and Memorial Hermann Life Flight, including the John S. Dunn Helistop and dispatch center.
A total of 1.34 million sq. ft. (124,490 sq m) will be added to the hospital. There will be 160 additional beds, 24 operating rooms (19 replacement and five new), 16 additional emergency room bays, 750 new parking spaces, a 335-seat café and seven shelled floors and six shelled operating rooms to accommodate future growth.
In addition, the John S. Dunn Burn Center, the only comprehensive burn center in Houston verified by the American Burn Association, will expand to 20 beds.
“One challenge with the project is that it is a tight, urban site requiring relocation of several operating departments to create the footprint of the tower,” said Bob Moroz, vice president of Broaddus & Associates, the company serving as project manager of the Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center construction and renovation. “Old foundations and undocumented underground utilities are within the project footprint. Another challenge is the disconnection and demolition of sections of the existing buildings including emergency generators which are within the project footprint.”
Moroz explained that the building type is uncommon: an 18-story hospital building containing a Level 1 Trauma Center with a helipad on the roof.
Construction has not yet started on the tower, and the project is not fully awarded at this time.
Hospital Information
Founded in 1925, Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center is the primary teaching hospital for the UTHealth Medical School. Memorial Hermann-TMC provides leading-edge care in heart, neuroscience, orthopedics, women's health, general surgery, organ transplantation and more. As one of only two certified Level I trauma centers in the greater Houston area, the hospital provides 24/7 emergency and trauma care. Memorial Hermann Life Flight provides emergency rescue within a 150-mi. (241 km) radius.
The original facility was only 200,000 sq. ft. (18,580 sq m). Today, Memorial Hermann's flagship hospital encompasses more than 2.5 million sq. ft. (232,257 sq m) and the expansion will create growth to 3.84 million sq. ft. (356,747 sq m).
An integrated health system, Memorial Hermann is known for world-class clinical expertise, patient-centered care, leading-edge technology and innovation. The system, with more than 20,000 employees, serves to advance health in Southeast Texas and the Greater Houston community.
Memorial Hermann's 13 hospitals include four hospitals in the Texas Medical Center: an acute care hospital which houses the Texas Trauma Institute and a Level I trauma center of which Life Flight air ambulance is a part, a hospital for children, a rehabilitation hospital, and an orthopedic and spine hospital; eight suburban hospitals; and a second rehabilitation hospital in Katy, Texas.
The system also operates three Heart & Vascular Institutes, the Mischer Neuroscience Institute, three IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute locations, joint replacement centers, cancer centers, imaging and surgery centers, sports medicine and rehabilitation centers, outpatient laboratories, a chemical dependency treatment center, a home health agency, a retirement community and a nursing home.
Brenda Ruggiero
Brenda Ruggiero has written for CEG for over 20 years. She lives near the town of Accident in far western Maryland. Her favorite assignments so far involved interviews with Survivor’s Boston Rob and hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut. Both were involved in construction at one time.
Brenda holds a BA in Mass Communication with a writing focus from Frostburg State University and minors in Public Relations and Political Science. She works full time as a staff writer for a weekly newspaper, the Garrett County Republican. She enjoys feature writing the most, which gives her the opportunity to talk to people and share their stories.
Brenda and her middle school sweetheart, Reuben, have been married for over 34 years and have three grown children and four cats.
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