NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Methodist Olive Branch Hospital in Olive Branch, Miss. has recently been completed. The facility was designed and constructed by an Integrated Project Delivery team including GS&P, Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. and Turner Construction Company. The new 210,000-square-foot, 100-bed hospital, which is on track for LEED-Gold certification, features a sustainable setting with several energy-saving innovations rarely seen in U.S. hospitals.
“The northern region of Mississippi has grown tremendously over the past two decades, but many residents have still traveled across state lines to seek healthcare in Memphis,” said David Rosenbaum, vice president, facility management, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. “Looking at this trend, we saw an important opportunity for a top-quality, full-service hospital to better serve area residents. Our team was committed to providing a new hospital that would play a vital role in the community and that would also reflect our organization’s commitment to building innovative, sustainable facilities.”
MOBH is the first hospital in the U.S. to use a photoelectric glaze that can transition from clear to a variable tint at the touch of a button, enabling operators to instantaneously reduce glare and solar gain. The glaze was installed in the hospital’s two-story lobby to minimize the energy needed to heat and cool the large atrium space.
MOBH’s geothermal heat pump system represents another leading-edge innovation, used in only two other hospitals in the country. More than 200 geothermal heat pumps were installed throughout the building, including one in each patient room. The pumps take advantage of the earth’s natural heat sink and use water to distribute heat throughout the facility – a strategy which is seven times more efficient than air at carrying heat.
The IPD delivery method created interdisciplinary teams among all stakeholders, with the goal of fostering collaboration and delivering the best results in the most timely and cost-efficient method possible. The hospital was designed, constructed and opened within 23 months, on schedule and under budget.
