Jefferson Healthcare Emergency + Specialty Services Building

Creative solutions reduced shutdowns + disruption to 24/7 hospital

The Emergency + Specialty Services Building at Jefferson Hospital included the relocation of an existing central utility plan, construction of a new three-story medical building, a new emergency department, and renovation of the existing hospital. The hospital required temporary utility lines during demolition and renovation which were switched over to permanent lines once the new facility work was completed. Dozens of utility shutdowns, which greatly impacted hospital operations, were part of the original schedule. 

Aldrich's use of pull planning with subcontractors allowed early engagement and deep discussions on how to mitigate shutdowns and disruption to the hospital. The solution was to connect all temporary and permanent lines together with t-valves so the temporary system could be completely routed to the new system by simply turning a valve. This resolution reduced the number of necessary shutdowns by half, resulting in a significant decrease in disruption to hospital patients and staff—at no additional cost to the project.