For the last two-and-a-half years, crews from DPR’s Richmond, VA office have been in and out of the hospital — Beaufort Memorial Hospital, the largest full-service, acute care facility between Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC.

Beginning in April of 2000 with a 7,200-sq.-ft. patient room buildout on the fifth floor, DPR continues its long-term residency at the 182-bed, not-for-profit facility with the start of its fifth project, the demolition and renovation of a 5,400-sq.-ft. catheterization laboratory including four new recovery rooms, Stress Echo and Nuclear Medicine rooms.

“Relationships, such as the one we’ve been able to build with Beaufort, really boil down to trust, good communication and follow through,” said Paul Cianchini, superintendent for DPR. “Our goal, especially when working in a 24/7 healthcare environment, is to be the ‘invisible construction team.’ If the facilities director receives a call from doctors, nurses, patients, or staff regarding construction, we’re not doing our job as well as we could be. We proactively communicate as much as possible to ensure that everyone in the hospital is informed about any potential disruptions and make sure we are approachable to answer any questions.”

Cianchini added that he personally tries to interact with as many people as possible, “buying donuts, sharing radios and making friends, which helps make my job much more enjoyable…a core value at DPR.”

The new catheterization laboratory project comes on the heels of DPR’s recent completion of approximately 4,000 sq. ft. of renovations to the emergency room (ER) and lobby. The 22-week, fast-track project consisted of the conversion of a relocated gift shop space into an eight-bed ER observation area and the renovation of the main lobby, including installation of new floor tile, wall coverings, one-inch oak panels and ornamental lighting in front of the hospital’s primary elevators.

“Working on the ground floor, especially adjacent to the emergency department and in front of the main elevators, added an extra layer to the traditional challenges of complex healthcare construction,” said Cianchini. “Any time you are adding or renovating space, you have to tie into existing systems and coordinate closely with the hospital to keep all of the other services open. It’s a life safety situation.”

Infection control is also a priority in healthcare construction, and according to Cianchini, DPR will be improving upon its current infection control practices for the new catheterization laboratory renovation to meet new stricter regulations.

“We’re extremely cautious when working in healthcare facilities and try our best to constantly keep the hospital informed, regarding noise, dust or other issues,” said Cianchini. “The opportunity to come back and continue working at Beaufort Memorial is representative of our commitment to continuous improvement and adding value to our projects for customers.”