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200 IH 35 South Pearsall, Texas 78061 Phone: (830) 334-3617 |
Pearsall,
Texas
Leading the Way
in New Hospital Design For Texas’ Single-Provider Communities
For many rural hospitals, deteriorating facilities and out-of-date
technology are increasingly common.
“Replacing rural hospitals is
more and more difficult because of lack of capital, and
regulatory agencies are continually increasing design requirements.” said Alan Holmes,
CEO, Frio Regional Hospital. However, modernization is necessary for rural
hospitals to continue providing high levels of care to their
patients.
Frio
Regional Hospital faced such a dilemma recently with the old Frio Hospital
in Pearsall, Texas. Faced
with the option to “move forward progressively or slowly fade away.” Said
Holmes, we chose to move forward with a new facility”. The new hospital, a
42,000 SF freestanding facility, includes 22 acute care beds with
outpatient, surgical, obstetric and emergency services.
Flexibility is a key component in the design. One centralized nurse station
services all acute care beds and Labor/Delivery Rooms with visual
observation of the Nursery.
Other important
features include all private rooms and the centralized nurse station’s
close proximity to the ER.
The site of
the new facility provides a tremendous advantage. Prior to planned
development, the hospital had purchased 112 acres with one mile of
frontage on IH-35 South access road.
An EDA grant of $1 million was obtained to finance infrastruction
for the hospital, future clinics and other business park entities. The $8 million facility was
financed with $5 million cash and a $3 million tax-exempt bank loan. The master
site plan incorporates future growth to support the continuum of care
through medical office buildings and long term care facilities. Today, two
medical office buildings sit near the new hospital, and roads around the
site are in place for future expansion. The site’s proximity to a major
interstate also provides excellent visibility and accessibility for the
facility.
Administration and staff at Frio
Regional hospital are now prepared for the growth that the new facility
will attract. The function
layout of the hospital facilitates future expansion of all major
departments while maintaining an efficient circulation for patients and
staff.
After one year, the hospital experienced a 10% volume increase. And while the new hospital is
three times the size of the old facility, the innovative design and
effective relationship of services has allowed the administration to
maintain their staffing levels at 3.9 full time employees per adjusted
occupied bed. According to Mr. Holmes, there was some pressure to make the
facility bigger during the planning stages of the project, “but we
maintained a conservative position.”
The conservative size of the hospital,
combined with the efficient/patient ratio supports Frio Regional
Hospital’s operational and financial goals.
The board of Frio Regional Hospital chose O’Connell Robertson and Associates, Inc. as architects. O’Connell Robertson provided architecture, engineering, and interior design services as well as construction administration.
Project Control of Texas of San Antonio provided construction management services. Project Control involved Mitchell Construction Company as well as the electrical and mechanical sub-contractor in the planning stages which resulted in cost reduction of roughly 11%.
Project Control was hired for a flat fee of $146,000 to represent the owner. All other parties (architects, hospital staff, physicians, contractors) have incentives to increase the scope and cost of the project. PCT provided technical assistance in negotiations with all contractors and planning from the beginning, resulting in savings far in excess of their fee. A list of all expenses associated with this project is available on request.
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