St. Mary Medical Center Expands Cancer Center, Outpatient Surgery in “Wrap Around” Additions

By Monte Dennison

Walla Walla, Wash. - St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla Wash., has completed contemporary ‘wrap around” additions on three sides that give the complex a new cancer center, outpatient surgery and sleep disorder clinic.

Earlier, in phase one of the project on the east and south side, the hospital acquired a new emergency department and pharmacy, an expanded imaging facility, increased parking and a new front entry and lobby. That phase was completed in October, 2005.

In the second phase, on the south and west side, the cancer center added 15,600 sq. ft. on the second level and 8,780 feet on the lower level for the sleep disorder facility. The center has its own entry and is used primarily for outpatients, although it is linked to the rest of the hospital complex by a prominent main corridor that loops the entire center.

“We’re particularly pleased at the way old and new have been woven together so that the new additions flow seamlessly into the older structure,” said Douglas McNutt, project manager for Mahlum Architects. “The corridor allows people to circulate throughout the hospital without having to pass through specific departments.”

The key to binding the various parts of the center together is the 690-foot long corridor, which relies on a combination of beige walls, stone -- sometimes in the walls and sometimes in the floor-- and special light fixtures to provide a strong visual way finding to every major care area. The corridor also has windows that look out onto gardens and open vistas at each major turning.

The exterior makes use of metal and brick, a gesture to brick used in downtown Walla Walla, to create a cohesive look to the complex. The interiors rely on soft colors and natural woods to create a welcoming and calming environment.

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In the two-story cancer center, clerestory windows allow natural light into both levels. Similar clerestory windows release light into the emergency department. The center has two waiting areas, 14 chairs and two beds for chemotherapy, two linear accelerators and one simulation room. The cancer center has experienced a growth of 120 percent since its opening in l990.

The outpatient surgery, which also has its own entrance, added a total of 19,255 sq. ft. on two levels. There are five operating rooms, five recovery rooms, two endoscopy offices and 16 pre-op areas. The project doubled the size of the patient area.

“Our goal was to provide a design that responded to the healthcare needs of the community as well as to provide a more contemporary cohesive look for a hospital that has served Walla Walla since 1910,” McNutt said.
Construction cost for the cancer center was $7.6 million, for the outpatient surgery center $5.7 million. The project was paid for through the medical center’s reserves and did not require additional debt financing.

In the phase one project, more than 17,000 sq. ft. was added to the emergency department and 4,830 sq. ft. to radiology/ imaging. Since its opening the emergency department has had 18,000 visits a year. Phase l construction cost was $9.2 million.

Besides Mahlum, project team members included Leone and Keeble, Inc., general contractor; D’Amato Conversano, Inc., structural; Wood/Harbinger, mechanical; Anderson Perry and Associates, civil, and Cascade Design Collaborative, landscape.