BuildCMH Expansion Project reaches significant milestone in 2023
CMH caregivers, leaders and community members have been involved with the BuildCMH Expansion Project since the beginning. In 2023, much of this collaboration was focused on the project’s design development phase.
During this phase, the architecture and design team worked with CMH departments and community members to finalize project plans, select construction materials, and choose a final interior and exterior design for the hospital.
The project is now in the next phase: construction documentation. During this phase, our project team is finalizing building drawings and specifications, such as what materials will be used in the expansion facility.
Final decisions about the facility’s design will be based on the many hours of feedback we have received from the community, patients and CMH caregivers. Throughout 2023, we were pleased to work with many people on the expansion facility’s design.
Co-design
Co-design is the practice of involving all stakeholders in improvement projects to ensure that the final product meets everyone’s needs. CMH caregivers, leaders and patients, along with community members, participated in co-design through all stages of the BuildCMH Expansion Project.
Each month, members of the Patient and Family Advisory Council and the Person-Centered Care Steering Committee provide feedback on different CMH projects and initiatives, including the expansion. These two groups include a variety of caregivers, CMH leaders, patients and community residents.
In addition to PFAC and PCC, others who have provided feedback on the hospital’s design include caregivers from various departments, providers, the CMH Foundation Board, the CMH Board of Trustees and community members who don’t serve on CMH entities.
The variety of people involved in the project has helped create the final design, including decisions such as the location of departments, placement of equipment in rooms and the integration of person-centered care concepts.
The expansion facility will increase the space available for the health care needs of our community. With the expansion, the hospital will grow from our current 56,000 square feet to 182,000 square feet, with significant space improvements for the Emergency Department, inpatient rooms, surgery, imaging, café and caregiver respite areas.
The expansion facility will also be equipped to withstand natural disasters and include a tsunami evacuation structure that can accommodate 1,900 people. In addition, critical infrastructure, generators and a helipad will be located on the roof so we can continue to provide services during an emergency.
Learn more about the BuildCMH Expansion Project at columbiamemorial.org/buildcmh.