ARLINGTON, TX March 2, 2010 - Basin Healthcare Center is one of the latest hospitals to launch in Odessa, which has become a healthcare hub in West Texas. Owned by Prexus Health, an Ohio-based healthcare consulting firm, this physician-owned institution combines skilled, professional staff with the up-to-date medical technology to deliver efficient services. FJW Construction built this 42,000 sf building for Prexus Health.
The freestanding, 2-story steel frame building has an exterior insulating finishing system. This surgical hospital includes four operating rooms, 14 inpatient rooms, a gastroenterology treatment room, emergency room, pharmacy, lab, and imaging center. The imaging suite contains ultrasound, radiography/fluoroscopy, computerized tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging equipment.
Despite not having full project financing, FJW managed to complete this project on time. The construction management firm identified specific activities that can be completed with available finances. These included: Making structural field drawings, dirt-work, pouring the foundation, and purchasing long-lead time items like the air-handlers, medical equipment, and generator.
FJW's Project Manager Michael Heid remarks, "We had to be selective to make headway, and to not have a negative impact on completion. Equipment like generators take at least 16 weeks to arrive, so it helped to make choices upfront to move the project along."
After going through city inspections, the building received the right to occupy on December 2009.
Neil S. Schwartz, Prexus Health's director of planning and development, states, "FJW was very beneficial in the value analysis process prior to construction. It was especially helpful having FJW assist in working through the banking crisis which occurred at the commencement of construction. Projects for which financing normally took 30 days were now taking four months. FJW's work maintained subcontractor procurement and construction, as this process was being completed in conjunction with construction."
He continues, "FJW Construction personnel were extremely professional throughout the entire building process, not only having the experience but foresight as well to see problems and issues before they occurred, which allowed FJW to maintain the construction schedule and costs. FJW not only met but exceeded Prexus' expectation for this project."
Despite manpower limitations in the Odessa area, FJW managed to obtain competent subcontractors for the building's dirtwork, concrete, paving, drywall, paint, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work locally. FJW had a previous working relationship with the designer, Polkinghorn Group Architects, and worked hands-on with Prexus Health's project facilitator. The architect previously designed Prexus Health's Butler County Medical Center in Hamilton, Ohio. The same design model was utilized, while adapting to Texas regulations.
Mr. Schwartz concludes, "I'd like to thank the entire FJW staff for all their hard work and dedication to bring the Basin Healthcare Center to fruition. This new hospital will offer the residents of the Permian Basin another choice for quality healthcare, where the doctors are empowered to provide the highest level of patient care and healing experience through a comforting interior building environment. We look forward to performing more projects with FJW in the future."
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