New Mercy Medical Center Unit Complete Ahead of Schedule to Treat COVID-19 Patients

Construction is complete of a new unit on the 17th floor of Mercy Medical Center’s Mary Catherine Bunting Center main hospital, located in downtown Baltimore, Maryland.

The new unit was completed in record time, ahead of schedule. The 32-bed acute care unit became fully operational, with staff and equipment, and has treated patients diagnosed with COVID-19 as of June 1. The project team included Whiting-Turner and Hord Coplan Macht.

In response to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s call in mid-March to increase hospital bed capacity statewide to address the COVID-19 public health emergency, Mercy was the first hospital in the state to seek and receive Emergency Certificate of Need approval from the Maryland Health Care Commission to construct an entirely new hospital unit. Construction began swiftly with an aggressive 75-day deadline and was ultimately completed by Whiting-Turner in 64 days from the time of CON approval. Whiting-Turner also provided critical short-term financing to allow the $12.5-million project to move forward immediately.

The new unit includes advanced technology, physiological monitoring and expanded medical gas capabilities allowing the flexibility for ICU level care for all 32 beds. Physiological monitors include alarm notifications directly linked to nursing communication devices. The unit features enhanced HVAC systems to provide negative pressure throughout the floor and 12 additional designated isolation rooms.