Medical Gas Design – RMH Group

The RMH Group provided engineering services for a phased hospital renovation program that expanded medical-surgical capacity and modernized patient care environments within an active healthcare facility. The project converted underutilized administrative, rehabilitation, observation, and support spaces into new inpatient care areas, including medical-surgical rooms, observation units, telemetry facilities, nursing support spaces, and patient-focused activity and dining areas.

The team designed infrastructure upgrades to support the addition of new patient rooms, including HVAC modifications, plumbing and medical gas distribution, electrical system enhancements, nurse call integration, and low-voltage technology systems. A major component of the project transformed the existing executive suite into a new 8-bed Medical-Surgical Unit and 14-bed Observation Unit with shared clinical support spaces and expanded patient-care infrastructure. Additional renovations converted eight observation rooms into medical-surgical rooms, reconfigured rehabilitation spaces to support inpatient care, and added private patient rooms on multiple floors.

Throughout the project, RMH leveraged existing building systems wherever feasible while extending critical healthcare infrastructure to meet current codes, patient safety requirements, and hospital operational standards. The phased approach enabled the hospital to increase bed capacity, improve patient care environments, and enhance clinical flexibility while minimizing disruption to ongoing operations.

The St. Francis Medical Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, underwent an expansive project to cater to a 50% increase in patient volume since 2008, aiming to meet the growing community’s needs by expanding its capacity and enhancing care delivery.

The project included the construction of a 250,410-square-foot acute care facility, which features an emergency department, operating rooms, and an upgraded Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). It also provides additional space for future growth. Key features of the expansion are a 30,000-square-foot parking area, a 34,000-square-foot Emergency Department with adaptable space, two operating theaters, a 22-bay post-anesthesia care unit, and 12,500 square feet for future operating rooms on Level 1. Level 2 has reserved space for surgical expansion, while Level 3 saw a 31,000-square-foot NICU expansion and renovations. Level 4 includes interstitial space for mechanical and electrical infrastructure, and Levels 5 and 6 will accommodate 64 MedSurg beds. RMH also provided the design to update the central utility plant to support the expansion, including a new chiller, boiler, and cooling tower.

The project utilized an Integrated Project Delivery method, completing 56 days early and 2% under budget. RMH introduced innovations such as tunable LED white light technology in the NICU to support infant circadian rhythms, enhancing care quality. Additionally, sustainability and efficiency were emphasized through daylight harvesting and high-efficiency lighting, balancing energy savings with maintaining safe care environments.

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