Modern hospital in the works for Maquoketa with help from Ryan & Associates
Project Overview:
For more than 60 years, the Jackson County Regional Health Center (JCRHC) has served the health needs of Maquoketa-area families, adding about $9 million to the local economy annually. But medical technology is fast-moving, and the current hospital needed an upgrade to keep up with advancements and continue offering exceptional care to the community.
JCRHC was originally built for inpatient care, yet emergency, outpatient and rehab services make up the bulk of the hospital’s revenue. To adapt to the demand, construction for a new medical facility began on 25 acres on the south side of the city in May 2019. Wisconsin-based Findorff Builders took the lead as general contractor, with Local Union 25 contractor Ryan & Associates responsible for all plumbing, medical gas and instrument air throughout the hospital.
“A lot of our work is being prefabbed at our shop off-site and sent here by semi, including all the domestic water mains, med gas mains and racks,” said Nick Gates, Ryan & Associates project foreman. “There are miles and miles of piping involved. If you look at the 3D model, it’s pretty wild looking.”
Plumbing and piping is vital to the health care industry, which requires specific types of water systems to prevent contamination and maintain a safe and healthy environment for patients and staff. The whole job was designed using Building Information Modeling (BIM) layout software to increase productivity, efficiency and collaboration while reducing errors.
“With BIM, we can pull up on the model and see if we’ll have any collisions and see how the project looks when it’s finished,” Gates said. “If the client makes any equipment changes during construction, then our rough-in changes in the wall. With medical equipment you’ve got to be dead-on when you’re piping it into the wall to be able to hit the equipment.”
JCRHC is being built in compliance with strict specs using the highest-quality stainless steel piping, installed by United Association certified craftsmen.
“Not every plumber can do med gas — you have to be licensed,” Gates said. “Every three years you have to retake a test, and there’s a special braze insert to be able to braze all the lines. We’re proud to stand behind our quality work.”
The nearly $40-million project is anticipated to be completed in December 2020. The new facility will include 13 inpatient rooms, rehabilitation spaces, a specialty clinic, a surgery center with two operating rooms, two radiology rooms, emergency department and lab services.