UConn Health Center — Master Plan

Farmington, CT

Surgical Suite—In compliance with 2002's "Health Center Master Plan," the Ambulatory Surgery Center was relocated to John Dempsey Hospital's lower campus. With this relocation it was determined that the Hospital needed eight additional inpatient surgical rooms. Mitchell Architectural Group proposed several feasible options to the Hospital. The proposed option added approximately 9,500 square feet to the basement level of the facility, while incorporating a bypass corridor which provided access to the public elevators. The renovation can be completed in three phases; all while maintaining seven surgical rooms throughout construction.

Newborn Intensive Care Unit—As a result of Mitchell Architectural Group's 2003 "Surgical Suite Master Plan," the foundation was laid to expand the Hospital's Newborn Intensive Care Unit. As part of the planning exercise, our office was invited to research the current standard in Newborn Intensive Care Unit design. After visiting several of the country's leading NICU's it was determined that the single room with "live-in" space for parents was the most important element for family centered care. Our final design scheme included new construction, phased renovation and relocation of current administrative offices. Thirty-four single bed rooms, five double rooms and a six bed "well baby" nursery totaling fifty beds rounded out the design.

Nursing Tower—One other objective of the "Health Center Master Plan," was to increase the number of private patient rooms for John Dempsey Hospital. During our study to redesign the Surgical Suite, the question of what could be potentially located above it was raised. A total of five alternative plans exploring potential size and shape the tower would take were developed. In 2003, consensus with the Hospital staff determined that a four story tower with 24 beds per floor was the solution that best fit their current needs. This tower was designed with the intention of vertical expansion in the future.

In 2005, the University of Connecticut Health Center updated their Master Plan to incorporate three additional nursing floors, thus completing the proposed tower.