Two years of research and collaboration with community partners led Fairview to reimagine their presence in St. Paul. What resulted is the Community Health and Wellness Hub--representing a bold, new approach to improve health and create health equity in the community by removing barriers to wellness and creating access that helps people support their own health. Fairview will provide various services to the community–from primary and mental health care to enrichment options for seniors, food access programs, and community gathering spaces.
Facts And Figures
Delivery Methods
The project includes the renovation of the former St. Joseph’s Hospital across multiple levels and multiple phases. The first phase provides an outpatient mental health and addiction clinic, offering therapy and addiction counseling. There is an adult day center for seniors to promote socialization and prevent isolation, a space for Minnesota Community Care Clinic, a small café, and a pharmacy.
Phase two is a continuation of the first phase of work, adding a range of critical healthcare services and community resources. This includes:
- Expansion of the imaging suite
- Transitioning the fourth and fifth floor to provide long term care, memory care, and transitional care units
- Addition of a blood draw lab
- A new commercial kitchen, offices, and other ancillary spaces to support the hub campus operations
Together, Everything is Possible
Securing Supplies and Materials in a Volatile Market
Our design and construction team were brought onto the project in September 2021. Fairview had a hard deadline for Phase 1 of July 2022—that gave us 10 months to complete the design and remodel. Pre-pandemic, you could expect to complete renovation projects quickly. However, ongoing supply chain issues made the tight timeline much more challenging. Mortenson developed best practices to navigate an unpredictable market and implemented many of these actions to meet the July 1 deadline.
- Long-lead materials were identified early in the design process and a plan was created to work around those timelines.
- A detailed flow schedule was created for procurement activities, where procurement needed to start before design completed—and as an integrated team we placed design priority on those items.
- Communicating regularly with our trade partners ensured timely delivery of construction materials and expedited delivery methods were used when the benefit exceeded the cost.
- Flagging discontinued materials early allowed the design team to select an alternate product before final construction documents were issued.
Staying on top of construction supply chain issues is a continuous battle. However, by identifying potential concerns early and thinking outside the box, you can find effective ways to solve common supply chain challenges.
Establishing a Fully Informed Schedule
Once procurement timelines were established, based on trade partner and supplier conversations, we created a high-level schedule during the first few weeks of design. As a team, we determined the ‘as late as possible date’ for when we needed materials on site to be installed. There was an 8-week overlap where the design timeline pushing forward did not align with the material lead times pulling back from the July end date.
By establishing a fully informed schedule early in the process, and identifying the material challenges, the team got creative and worked collaboratively to ensure Fairview’s completion deadline was achieved.
Maintaining a Safe Patient Experience The hospital has an active, long-term acute care unit. These patients have serious medical conditions requiring constant care. Our team is committed to minimizing any potential disruptions to ensure operations continue successfully and that construction activities do not disrupt the daily experience of occupants and visitors, through clear communication and awareness.
Much like the trust that doctors build with their patients, our project team is dedicated to understanding Fairview’s goals and objectives and delivering them in a manner that inspires confidence while bringing innovative ideas and options to the process.