Serving as a comprehensive regional referral center for cardiovascular patients, the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital, on the Ohio State University Medical Center campus, has been operating near capacity since it opened its doors just a few years ago. Cardio admissions increased 16 percent within the first year! No wonder, then, that an addition was immediately required.

The recent 63,000 square foot vertical expansion adds two new floors above the existing hospital. It contains 60 private criticalcare patient rooms — 30 for electrophysiology andarrhythmia management and 30 for management of patients in heart failure— along with support services. Construction also required extending five active elevators and adding one oversized patienttransport elevator.

The existing hospital is busy and at the “heart” of the medical center campus, which required special planning strategies. Fortunately, Barton Malow was involved in the early stages of schematic design. Those months of planning and coordination with the hospital, university, facility personnel and The Design Group architect, laid the foundation for achieving quality, schedule and budget with minimal hospital disruption.

A key element was closing a main road through the center of campus for 22 months to facilitate just-in-time deliveries; stage a tower crane, material and worker hoist; and create a covered walkway for the project duration. These site logistics were formulated during the RFQ period and refined during the months of preconstruction. Additional preconstruction measures, such as multiple bid packages and intricate phasing, accelerated construction.

One special feature is the new dual-hydraulic critical care elevator, affectionately dubbed “the mega elevator.” The nearly-100 square feet of clear cab area allows an entire surgical team, with a vast array of medical equipment, to transport a critically ill patient within the hospital. Moreover, the mega elevator is positioned in the middle of the procedural labs, with direct access to operating rooms, in case of emergency. Preconstruction services provided the roadmap for quality construction.