Entry lobby

A look back at this project and its accomplishments begins with a need to replace an aging 1950s-era critical access facility. Many departments in the former hospital needed to increase by two to three times their present size to meet Giles County and Monroe County requirements. Significant physical and equipment upgrades were required; electrical and mechanical systems were at capacity. A design study was undertaken to evaluate whether the existing hospital should be renovated or a new hospital should be constructed. The results showed that the building of a new facility was more cost effective. Many unique collaborative relationships with groups such as Skanska USA Building, Inc. and the local Giles County Industrial Development Authority (IDA), made it possible to explore various planning and design scenarios with associated cost information. A 26-acre site with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and valleys was obtained from the IDA in trade for the present hospital building and property. It was determined that the hospital facility would be built along a former ridgeline with an east/west orientation. The programming and design work began in late 2006. The hospital was designed as a single-story facility. All major treatment and diagnostic functions are organized along the northern side of the building along with the ambulance entry and mobile MRI docking area. The southern side of the facility houses outpatient, administrative, lab, material management, dietary, engineering/mechanical, and receiving areas. A central core houses Outpatient Routine Diagnostic and Respiratory Therapy areas, pharmacy, HIM/QA/UR, and social service areas, on-call, and other support functions. A staff/inpatient corridor serves the central core and all treatment/diagnostic functions along the northern axis and connects with the Inpatient Nursing Unit, which offers inpatient privacy during transport. A Public/Visitor/ Outpatient Corridor along the southern axis connects the public entry, lobby and waiting areas with the Inpatient Nursing Unit and café for complete separation from clinical traffic. The core also serves to separate institutional from noninstitutional occupancies.All major departments-surgery, emergency, imaging, rehab therapies, and clinical lab-are located around the exterior periphery of the building and are planned to allow future expansion without displacing one another or requiring internal departmental reorganization. The southern Inpatient Nursing Wing is also planned for future expansion if needed. For more information on the Carilion Giles Community Hospital facility and its services, visit www.carilionclinic.org.