UConn Breaks Ground on Health Center Campus Projects

FARMINGTON, Conn. – Less than a year after he signed the Bioscience Connecticut bill, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy was joined by University of Connecticut leaders, state officials and the UConn Health Center community for a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of a series of construction projects on the health center campus.

HKS, Inc./Steffian Bradley Architects, a joint venture, is providing design services for hospital construction and renovation projects at the UConn Health Center. Turner Construction is serving as the construction manager. The projects are two key elements of Bioscience Connecticut, a comprehensive plan to advance bioscience innovations, meet the healthcare needs of Connecticut’s future and improve access to state-of-the-art care.

Located in Farmington, Conn. and founded in 1961, the health center is the university’s academic medical center. It is composed of the School of Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, Graduate School, John Dempsey Hospital, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists and a vibrant research enterprise.

The new tower for the John Dempsey Hospital will include 169 new private patient rooms, a new operating room suite and a new emergency department. Renovations include cardiology, psychiatry and other ancillary programs such as radiology and pharmacy services.

Bioscience Connecticut calls for several capital projects and program investments at the UConn Health Center and other healthcare institutions in the region. Malloy introduced the proposal in May 2011 as a way to generate sustainable economic growth through short- and long-term job creation, while continuing advances in healthcare and healthcare access, ultimately positioning Connecticut as a leader in biomedical research.

As Bioscience Connecticut evolved, so did a partnership with The Jackson Laboratory of Bar Harbor, Maine. Construction of the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine on the Health Center campus is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014.

The first of the construction projects is a parking garage in front of the main entrance, scheduled to be completed by next spring, according to the Health Center’s Bioscience Connecticut timeline.

Eco-friendly materials and interior finishes will be chosen for the construction of the building. Low-emitting materials and proper filtration will improve the air quality of the indoor spaces. Operational policies such as recycling and green cleaning will be implemented after construction to maintain the sustainable facilities. In the end, the LEED facility will help reduce its environmental impact and operating costs while still providing a healthy place for the patients, visitors and staff of the UCHC John Dempsey hospital.