Palomar Medical Center

Palomar Medical Center | Escondido, California

The DPR-led project team for Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, CA, scored a major success when California’s Office of Statewide Health and Planning Development (OSHPD) granted permission to “staff and stock” the facility four days earlier than originally planned, following an arduous four-year construction process.

Project Scope

Achieving this milestone was all the more notable in light of the highly challenging and intensive journey the team faced when it took over the construction management of the $660-million project after construction had already begun. Even with reshaping the construction process midstream, the team met the critical target date for delivering this landmark healthcare facility, which opened to the public in August.

Designed by CO Architects, and dubbed the “hospital of the future” for its many cutting-edge features, the 789,293-sq.-ft., 11-story Palomar Medical Center accommodates up to 360 patient beds, 12 operating rooms, a 50-room trauma center, a 60,000-sq.-ft. undulating green roof and a 40,000-sq.-ft. central plant, among other features. The hospital incorporates many sustainable design principles and reflects the owner’s commitment to creating not only a healing environment for patients but one that also supports the wellbeing of the staff through features such as skylights and light wells that deliver natural lighting into employee-only spaces.

The team made a midstream shift to a hybrid integrated project delivery model and kicked of the process with a series of meetings between the owner, Palomar Health, the architect and engineering team, an outside facilitator, Lou Bainbridge, and key trade contractors to align goals and expectations and establish a high-performance team to focus on continuous improvement and project/team success.

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