BIM Helped Build the Region's Newest Emergency & Trauma Center



Resuscitation Room at the new Saint Alphonsus Emergency & Trauma Center

A Level II Regional Trauma Center is the critical epicenter for many patients experiencing serious or life threatening trauma, and must remain fully operational 24 hours a day.  Any modifications done within a facility like this need carefully phased construction.  After  21 months, we are proud to show the results of our planning to renovate and expand the Emergency and Trauma Center at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho. 

Along with police, fire and paramedic services, hospital emergency departments give true meaning to rapid response.  As this regions only Level II Trauma Center, the Saint Alphonsus Boise facility is vitally important to the community.  And while the project was technically to expand the Emergency Department and Trauma Center from approximately 15,000 square feet to just over 20,000 square feet, it was also a significant renovation in that almost nothing of the prior department remains.  This was accomplished through a very detailed and deliberate phasing of every aspect of construction.  BIM (building information modeling) played a role in the successful outcome.

BIM technologies and programs have been around for more than a decade.  Somewhat surprisingly, it’s the contractors who are the early adopters.  With rapid advancements in the computing power of lightweight notebooks and tablets these programs have become standard tools at the construction site, improving efficiency and saving both money and time. 

At CSHQA we are applying programs that are more powerful and more flexible.  All good things when you need to break a project into small pieces while building a figurative ‘firewall’ around services that cannot be interrupted. 

By our count, above the ceilings and below the roof structure, the Emergency Department has some 36 distinct utility systems which serve the critical functions below.  Each one of these utility systems was essentially removed and replaced while the balance of the department remained up and functioning. 

There never seems to be enough “interstitial” space for these types of systems, and that was never truer on this project.  Parts of the building were first constructed in the 1970’s before much of today’s technology was yet to be conceived.  BIM helped through the design process to facilitate a clear path through this tight labyrinth of existing systems and available space.  By building and then analyzing the BIM model, we were able to work with the Contractor during the design phase to help avoid above ceiling ‘collisions’ while keeping a minimum number of patients beds up and functioning at any given time.

CSHQA's planning and renovation yielded the following improvements at Saint Alphonsus - Boise: 

• The Emergency Department and Trauma Center expanded from 15,000 square feet to 20,255 square feet. 
• Treatment bays divided by curtains were replaced by individual private patient suites.  Each room is equipped to address any emergency, eliminating wait-time for specialized equipment. 
• Softer lighting, sound absorbing flooring and a more calming environment will help ease anxiety for all patients as well as support the unique physical and emotional needs of this region’s senior population.
• The expanded Emergency and Trauma Center houses the region’s only decontamination unit, a secure chamber that will allow for an isolated response to patients injured in explosions, chemical spills and other accidents involving hazardous materials; increasing safety for all patients and their medical teams. 

About Saint Alphonsus Health System As a faith-based Catholic ministry and not-for-profit health system, Saint Alphonsus Health System reinvests in the communities we serve, through charity care and other benefits. Our goal is to improve the health and well-being of individuals by emphasizing care that is patient-centered, physician-led, innovative and community-based.  Saint Alphonsus Health System serves the people of southwestern Idaho, eastern Oregon and northern Nevada through the following facilities: Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center - Boise, ID; Saint Alphonsus Medical Center – Nampa, ID; Saint Alphonsus Medical Center – Ontario, OR; Saint Alphonsus Medical Center – Baker City, OR; and, Saint Alphonsus Medical Group with primary and specialty care providers at over 60 clinic locations, all of which are members of the Saint Alphonsus Health Alliance, a network of over 1500 employed and independent providers focused on making care easy to access, improving health outcomes and reducing the costs of healthcare.  To find out more go to:  www.saintalphonsus.org

Dave Davies, AIA, project architect and associate with CSHQA, led the nearly three-year planning, design and construction effort to remodel and expand the Emergency & Trauma Center.  Dave specializes in healthcare and senior living design.