A New England Health System had plans to renovate 2 vacant med surge units into state-of-the-art Behavioral health units with a goal to increase patient capacity and comply with the latest behavioral healthcare standards. Since the hospital was originally constructed in 1928, modernizing the facility created some unexpected challenges. During the demolition and discovery phase, several problems were identified, which could impact the project's timelines.
Managing politics, gaining buy-in, and facilitating decision making would be critical. By partnering and collaborating with colleagues and leaders across the health system, developing a comprehensive business plan to define the scope, identifying funding sources, and establishing the governance structure enabled clear expectations, communication, accountability, and decision making.
The original budget estimate was $14 million. However, only $11 million was approved to keep the project below the certificate of need threshold. As an added challenge, we quickly determined an additional $2.5 million would be required to complete utility plant updates which were not included in the approved budget.
After years of vacancy, this historic facility required a major overhaul of utilities infrastructure. An extensive plant upgrade was unavoidable.
The fourth challenge is one familiar to all of us: COVID-19. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in all project operations. Hospitals around the world had to reassess their priorities. Personnel were forced to comply with new safety measures and challenges with equipment and construction material availability arose. As a result, construction costs surged due to delayed timelines and changing requirements.
After identifying project obstacles, the project team began planning and implementing solutions, leveraging existing relationships and strategic partnerships.
We influenced critical decisions and gained buy-in to the significance of investing in the utility plant. With the never-before-seen challenges created by the pandemic, we brought unity across the project team, construction management, A&E and the owner team. This broad alignment enabled success of a common goal.
With a strong commitment to complete the project on time and within budget, supply chain and cost issues had to be met with creativity and ingenuity to identify alternative products than originally specified.
Despite numerous challenges and barriers, the staggering impacts of a global pandemic and through exemplary project leadership, this ambitious $14M renovation was completed on time and within budget.
The 28-bed net gain of the renovated facility is impacting countless lives by creating greater accessibility to behavioral healthcare.
If you take away one thing from this case study, let it be this. No matter how daunting your projects challenges may seem, even crippling at times. Pintail Solutions can guide you onto the path of project success.
Our experts are trained to organize the chaos and put sustainable business plans and practices in place.
Pintail Solutions is a niche management advisory firm focused on enabling overall project and portfolio delivery, developing and deploying new business strategies, and delivering construction projects across life science organizations.
