COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Health Care has opened its largest expansion ever for University Hospital in Columbia, Mo. Designed by HOK, the $190-million addition features a new patient care tower and a replacement facility for Ellis Fischel Cancer Center — the oldest cancer center west of the Mississippi River. The 310,500-square-foot addition is seeking LEED-Silver certification and has abundant technology and sustainable design elements to facilitate a healing environment.
The eight-story tower is located on the northeast side of the existing hospital. It is designed to support the delivery of patient- and family-centered care; advanced translational research and education; provide flexibility for growth of the university’s health science campus and foster greater collaboration.
The tower includes:
- 90 private rooms with “smart-room” technology to wirelessly integrate medical devices into the hospital’s electronic medical record keeping
- A 7,000-square-foot inpatient pharmacy with robotics to automatically dispense medication
- Six operating rooms, with space to expand to an additional six rooms
- 25 pre-procedure rooms and 18 post-procedure recovery rooms
- A nearly 1,800-square-foot lounge for families of surgery patients
The tower is also home to the new Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, which moved from an outpatient facility nearby. Integrating the cancer center into the patient tower allows inpatient and outpatient care from a single location and a more efficient use of valuable resources. The 100,000-square-foot cancer center spans two floors and includes two linear accelerators, space for two magnetic resonance imaging rooms, a PET-CT scanner, a CT scanner and 66 clinic examination rooms.
Creating a healing environment
A 3,150-square-foot healing garden provides a seamless connection to interior spaces of the tower. It is specially designed to optimize sunlight. HOK conducted a light study, measuring seasonal sunlight in the garden at all times of the day to guide the location of trees, seasonal plants, a water feature and seating areas, as 
well as a variety of respite areas for patients and spaces for rehabilitation and adaptive living learning. In addition, three unique roof gardens, including one that covers linear accelerators used for chemotherapy, provide a duel role of positive distractions and meeting sustainable objectives.
Designed for flexibility and growth at all levels, the massing of the building complements its campus. The predominantly glass patient tower adds a fresh and lighter element to the campus, while matching brick integrates the new and existing facilities. Native Missouri stone distinctly identifies the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, reinforcing its name and honoring its history.
Hospital operations benefit from a design that fosters an interdisciplinary approach to patient care and medical education. It provides collaborative spaces, improves the quality of care and enhances patient and staff safety. While large and complex, the design incorporates patient and family wayfinding through the reorganization of the patient intake areas and carefully placed signage.
Green features
To achieve LEED-Silver certification, the addition reused stonework from a demolished building on campus. Other green elements include:
More efficient fixtures to reduce water consumption by nearly 61 percent- Low VOC-emitting finish materials
- High-efficiency glass
- 10,000-square-feet of green roofs
- Rainscreen exterior wall system
More efficient fixtures to reduce water consumption by nearly 61 percentJE Dunn Construction Co. was construction manager for the project.
Other capital projects for UM Health Care have included the recently opened Missouri Orthopaedic Institute and the relocation of Children’s Hospital to the former Columbia Regional Hospital. Columbia Regional Hospital has been partially renovated to become the new MU Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
