Allina Medical Clinic completes $5 million expansion of Northfield clinic
NORTHFIELD, MN 05/31/2007--
Allina Medical Clinic is pleased to announce the completion of the $5 million expansion and renovation of its medical clinic on Highway 3 in Northfield, Minn.
The year-long project adds 22,000 square feet, almost doubling the size of the clinic to 50,000 square feet.
"We are growing to meet the increased demand for health-care services and need to expand the services we provide, and improve access for our patients," said Rod Christensen, MD, lead physician, Allina Medical Clinic - Northfield.
The expansion has further streamlined care for patients in one convenient location and includes expanded procedure rooms, 26 new exam rooms, diagnostic imaging, and on-site mental health facilities.
"In addition to expanding the facility, we're also growing our services," said Barb Barlau, manager, Allina Medical Clinic - Northfield.
Additional services include:
Building within an existing health-care environment
Timco Construction, which works almost exclusively on health-care projects, is the primary contractor for the Allina clinic. As with nearly all construction in the Allina system, Timco used union workers to handle the challenging logistics of building within an existing health-care environment.
"Infection control, safety and patient care are very big issues," said Tim McKee, president of Timco Construction. "People at various stages of age and health need to be protected."
Dust, noise and vibrations have to be rigorously controlled to minimize disruption of patients and services. Sterile environments and strict isolation of airflow have to be maintained to prevent contaminants from reaching sensitive machinery and patient areas, especially during demolition and renovation.
Special training for construction workers
Members of the Lakes and Plains Regional Council of Carpenters were among the 25 workers on the Allina project. The Regional Council has created an innovative "hospital protocol" training to make front-line workers aware of the importance of infection prevention in health-care settings.
The two-day, hands-on training – developed in consultation with hospitals in southern Minnesota – stresses how health-care construction differs from other types of projects. The training introduces workers who install framing, drywall, cabinets, ceilings and floors to the specialized procedures and often high-tech equipment used in health-care construction. One of the key goals: Prevent dangerous microbes from escaping into patient areas when walls, ceilings and ventilation systems are disturbed during construction.
Allina is one of Timco's main clients, McKee said. At the Northfield Clinic, Timco first completed the addition, enabling clinic staff to move many day-to-day operations into the new space. The previous space then was renovated in three phases, McKee said.
"The skill and productivity of the union workforce helped us finish the job on time and on budget," said Ben Miller, field agent in Northfield for the Lakes and Plains Regional Council. Getting the job done on schedule further minimizes disruption to patients and clinic staff, he said.
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