East Addition
The second floor punch was completed last week. A punch is the walk-through by the general contractor (HBE) and the owner (VVMC) to identify any irregularities or conditions that are not acceptable or suitable to the owner. Each item identified is listed creating a punch list. Each item is listed by exact room location, after which each responsible subcontractor is contacted to return and resolve. After an agreed-upon period of time, another walk-through is conducted to review the work. This process continues until final approval is met.

June 16 has been identified as the target date for owner possession of the second floor. With this occupancy comes a significant list of VVMC responsibilities, including floor surface preparation and finish (wax), and installation of items such as paper towel, toilet paper and soap dispensers; sharps containers; televisions; computers; etc. Equipment and furnishings then will be moved into the unit with a final thorough cleaning of all rooms by the Environmental Services department. Appropriate staff orientation to the new unit will take place prior to patient occupancy.

On the first floor, the Medical Imaging department space is at 70 percent completion. The remaining work has ongoing activities related to installation of imaging equipment, including required protective shielding. In the CT room, the entire ceiling and all steel beams have been wrapped in lead sheeting to protect the floor above. In the MRI suite, Gavin Industries of Pittsburg, Pa., is on site to wrap the entire room in a copper envelope. The arrival of the new MRI equipment has been moved up to July 7, a month earlier than previously expected. The MRI magnet is energized at the Siemens manufacturer in Germany, and flown directly to Phoenix, where it will be quickly transported to VVMC. The magnet loses energy daily so it is critical to install and power it up in the new suite as soon as possible.

After relocation to the new department, all equipment calibrations will take place, and required protective shielding will be verified by a physicist. These approvals will determine final patient occupancy on the second floor. The move of each piece of imaging equipment will be coordinated to ensure continuous patient care.

Finalization of outside site works continues, and you soon will see new asphalt in the area directly south of the Café Verde patio.

Internal
Two weeks ago work began on the new flooring and carpeting of the Inpatient Services entrance area. Completion of that area, including the Registration and Rehabilitation Services waiting areas, will be completed this week.

The new automatic glass door at the end of the conference room hallway has been completed.

Three weeks ago the second floor corridor to Mingus was closed to accommodate demolition and construction for the tie-in to the East addition and realignment of the existing Mingus corridor. The expected reopening date was Tuesday, May 27. Unfortunately, a latent condition was discovered, delaying the project. A latent condition is one previously unknown due to not being included in existing blueprints or not reasonably expected. A cross brace was found to be located directly in the line of the new corridor. This necessitated an outside structural engineer conducting a site visit to provide a recommendation for relocation of the cross brace. The engineer provided revisions for the brace on May 23. We regret the unexpected delay in this area and appreciate your patience. We plan to have the corridor reopened by Friday, June 13, and believe the Mingus realignment will outweigh the inconvenience.