PROJECT SPOTLIGHT—ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL NORTH VERTICAL EXPANSION

Two floors added on top of the existing roof

After several years of hard work, APG was very excited to see the St. Joseph’s Hospital North campus open in 2010. We were chosen by BayCare’s construction manager to provide electrical, fire alarm, nurse call, and security services for the brand-new facility. This project remains one of the largest in our company’s history, and a picture of the finished hospital is proudly displayed in the lobby of our Clearwater headquarters.
 
Since then, the Lutz area has grown at a phenomenal rate. To meet the needs of its current and future patients, BayCare decided to add two more floors on top of the existing hospital, doubling the inpatient bed capacity from 108 to 216. The expansion also adds to the intensive care unit, the progressive care units, physical and respiratory therapy, and a dedicated hemodialysis unit. Once complete, an additional 200 people will be needed to staff the 128,000 square foot space. Adding new floors to an existing and operational hospital is an incredibly challenging task. Rooftop equipment has to be demolished and relocated, all while maintaining service to the floors below.
 
APG was awarded the engineering contract to provide mechanical, electrical, plumbing, medical gas, fire protection, and technology engineering design services. Part of this scope included determining how to construct the new floors in a way that minimally impacted BayCare’s signature patient experience. This began with a comprehensive study and analysis of the existing facility’s infrastructure. Eventually, a carefully coordinated phasing plan was generated and provided to bidders for competitive pricing. Our engineering team’s professional skill shined throughout the design process, and their success on such a complicated project has led to additional engineering contracts on other BayCare facilities.
 
Then in April of last year, as the design progressed and we competitively bid the project, APG was selected by Barton Malow to provide electrical, fire alarm, and voice/data for this expansion. We’re extremely honored to be worthy of BayCare and Barton Malow’s continued trust in our work.
 
Although this project won’t be completed until the spring of next year, we couldn’t wait to feature it because of the tremendous effort our team has put forth so far. Special thanks to Senior Estimator Jonathan Henley, Senior Project Manager Ron Mueller, and Project Superintendent Eric Beal. We are particularly proud of Eric. He came to APG right out of high school just ten years ago, with no electrical experience. We’ve watched him grow from a green helper to an apprentice to a journeyman electrician and a project superintendent. He’s an amazing example of what you can achieve with hard work, and we’re very happy that he chose to become part of the APG family. We can’t wait to see what more he’ll accomplish in the future!
 
It takes dozens of people who are part of a dedicated team to succeed on a project this challenging, and we’d like to thank each and every person who is contributing to its success. Keep up the great work! Stay tuned for an upcoming article that will feature a major expansion at St. Joseph’s Hospital South.

St. Joseph's Hospital North

Project Superintendent Eric Beal