Sometimes commercial projects bring planners the chance to change the quality of life in a community. That’s what officials with St. Louis-based HOK, a global design and planning firm, plan to do on the major healthcare project the company is now undertaking at a St. Louis hospital campus.
HOK has been named executive architect on the long-term project to renew the medical center campus on Kingshighway Boulevard in St. Louis, a campus that encompasses Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.
And everyone involved on the project — from the architects at HOK to the leadership at the campus medical providers — are expecting big things.
“We are putting together a premier team that can understand and further our goals of quality patient care, teaching and medical research at our academic medical center,” said Richard Liekweg, Barnes-Jewish Hospital president, in a written statement. “Our hospitals have a rich history of providing the finest medical care possible and with this project we want to create an environment and experience for our patients that match that excellent care.”
Chuck Siconolfi, HOK’s director of healthcare planning and design, envisions a future in which scientific, technological and operational advances will continuously improve patient outcomes and quality of experience. And he’s certainly including these ideals in the improvement plans for the busy healthcare campus.
“BJC’s project is an opportunity to use these advances to redefine the highest delivery of care standards in the nation,” he said.
“HOK is honored to have been selected by these distinguished institutions,” added Rebecca Nolan, managing principal of HOK in St. Louis, in a written statement. “This project represents one of the most significant building programs in the region. It will generate hundreds of new jobs and stimulate millions of dollars in economic growth.”
The first phase of the project will concentrate on the north campus and includes an expansion of St. Louis Children’s Hospital with enlarged diagnostics and treatment spaces and conversion of semi-private rooms to private rooms.
The renovations will also bring additional space for university faculty practice clinics, community physician practices, diagnostic spaces and expanded clinical care at the Siteman Cancer Center.
The campus renewal is not a quick project. In fact, it will continue during the next 10 years. In addition to the phase one transition of the north side of the campus, the south end of the campus will undergo renovation and construction with a focus on increased critical care capabilities and additional private inpatient rooms, along with development of programs in medical and surgical services.
Both phases of the project will include improvements to parking and traffic flow.
Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital are members of BJC HealthCare, one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States.
