Work at Penn Highlands State College Hospital and Medical Office Building included installation of nine air handlers — five of which were intricate to a specific space, such as a pharmacy or an operating room that required precise humidity levels or negative pressure. Each of those had to be flown to the roof in sections and assembled and tested to be watertight.
This summer marks a significant milestone for the community of State College, Pennsylvania, with the grand opening of the Penn Highlands State College Hospital and Medical Office Building. This state-of-the-art facility is set to revolutionize healthcare in the region, offering advanced medical services, cutting-edge technology and a patient-centered approach to care. Penn Highlands State College marks the first time that Penn Highlands Healthcare is building a hospital with an adjacent medical office building from the ground up to its specifications.
At the heart of this project is the intricate and vital work of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based McClure Co., whose expertise in hospital HVAC systems has ensured that the facility operates with the highest standards of efficiency, safety and comfort.
The Vision of Penn Highlands State College
Penn Highlands State College envisioned a facility that would not only meet the current healthcare needs of the community but also anticipate future demands. The new hospital and medical office building is a testament to this vision, featuring modern architectural design, advanced medical equipment and a commitment to sustainability and patient well-being. The facility includes numerous specialty clinics, surgical suites, patient rooms and diagnostic centers, all designed to provide comprehensive and accessible healthcare services.
The Penn Highlands State College Hospital and Medical Office Building project included more than 30 fire and smoke dampers in the hospital and roughly 15 in the medical office building.
The construction of the Penn Highlands State College Hospital and Medical Office Building was a monumental task, requiring collaboration between numerous contractors, engineers and medical professionals. Spanning over 200,000 square feet, the facility includes:
- Advanced Patient Care Areas: Equipped with the latest in medical technology and designed for optimal patient comfort and care efficiency, this includes 18 modern and private inpatient rooms and an emergency department with 10 private treatment rooms and a trauma room.
- Specialty Clinics: Providing a wide range of services from cardiology and oncology to pediatrics and orthopedics, this includes the Penn Highlands Hahne Cancer Center, Women’s Medical Imaging and gynecological services center, a QCare walk-in clinic, and a retail pharmacy with drive-thru service.
- Surgical Suites: State-of-the-art operating rooms equipped with advanced surgical technology to ensure the highest standards of care, including three high-tech operating suites and an endoscopy procedure room.
- Diagnostic Centers: Cutting-edge imaging and laboratory equipment to support accurate and timely diagnoses.
- Sustainable Design Elements: Energy-efficient systems, green building materials and environmentally friendly practices help reduce the facility’s carbon footprint.
McClure Co. Brings Their Expertise to the Project
Central to the functionality and sustainability of the new hospital is its HVAC system, designed and installed by McClure Co. Known for their expertise in mechanical contracting and energy services, McClure Co. played a crucial role in ensuring that the facility’s HVAC system meets the rigorous demands of a modern healthcare environment.
Penn Highlands State College envisioned a facility that would meet current community healthcare needs, as well as anticipate future demands.
This two-year long project came about as a result of McClure’s longtime relationship with Alexander Building Co., a Butz family company that is one of Central Pennsylvania’s largest construction and construction management firms, that managed this project. This is in addition to McClure’s 15 years of experience working on healthcare facilities, according to Chris Howe, Project Estimator/Manager with McClure Co.
Once the design was complete, McClure started with a review to help highlight any building headaches, price the project and establish budgets.
McClure then conducted a Building Information Modeling (BIM) process to assist medical equipment design and placement layout, cater to structural needs, build per healthcare standards and codes, and detect and coordinate any issues to adapt the design as necessary. This also ensures the facility is not only built correctly but is done with a thought toward future maintenance needs so accessible areas remain so, Howe says.
The project included nine air handlers — five of which were intricate to a specific space’s needs, such as a pharmacy or operating rooms that required specific humidity levels or negative pressure. Each of those had to be flown to the roof in sections and assembled and tested to be watertight.
The project also included more than 30 fire and smoke dampers in the hospital and roughly 15 in the medical office building.
The biggest challenge, Howe says, was navigating the sheet metal through narrow corridor walls that had already been put in place before their installation. This required more time, effort and supervision.
Since everything needed fire safing and special assembly and inspection, Tony Miller, sheet metal foreman, came up with an efficient way to create these sound barriers with a paint sprayer that avoided adding unnecessary man-hours and kept the project moving forward.
Local 19 employees did the work at this facility. “They did an awesome job,” Howe says. “I’ll put them up against anybody.”
The expertise and dedication of McClure Co. in designing and installing the HVAC system was instrumental in bringing this vision to life, ensuring that the facility operates efficiently and effectively to serve the needs of patients and healthcare professionals alike.
