New Women’s and Children’s Tower
To bolster women and children’s health services in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Dignity Health and Phoenix Children’s Hospital have combined their expertise in one location to create the Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, Women’s and Children’s Tower. The new 382,000-sf bed tower is located on Dignity’s campus in the East Valley area of Phoenix.
The five-story tower contains a mix of 206 inpatient beds, labor and delivery rooms, and an emergency department (ED) dedicated to obstetrics. Pediatric services include a pediatric ED and OR and a Level 3 NICU. The addition doubled the size of the existing campus and necessitated the expansion of the central plant capacity. All design and construction work was completed without disrupting existing hospital services.
IMEG’s commissioning team joined the project early in the design phase and provided document reviews and comments throughout all phases of design. The team also reviewed the existing MEP systems for operational and integration purposes and interviewed the facilities team to learn its operational practices, after which recommendations were provided to the design team.
The design utilized best practices for systems and equipment approach, integration, sustainability, and serviceability. With a collaborative approach, the project team maintained a strict compliance to owner, code, and industry standards. The owner received equipment and systems that were thoroughly vetted by the team for maximum operation and performance and will benefit from reduced operational costs as a result of the project team’s collaborative approach and high standards.
Main systems commissioned included:
- Air handling units
- Chilled water system
- Air terminal units
- Exhaust systems
- Normal and emergency power systems
- Fire alarm
- Security and access control
- Building automation system
The overall project was delivered via a fast-track design-build model, featuring a total project timeline of three years from beginning to completion. IMEG is also providing retro-commissioning services for the existing campus and systems to improve performance and operation and reduce the total energy use intensity (EUI) for the campus. The project is anticipated to maintain corporate energy standards and EUI goals.
