healthcareprojects

DMR is currently working on five new, upgraded or repurposed healthcare spaces, a bright spot in real estate development during an uncertain economic time. The projects consist of addressing equipment upgrades, operational needs, and a focus shift to a higher degree of attention to the patient experience with four of New Jersey’s largest healthcare systems.

“Our healthcare clients are actively working to shift patient perceptions of their spaces from clinical, scary places that are almost seen as transactional to calming, welcoming, and experiential self-care activities,” said Pradeep Kapoor, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Chief Operating Officer and Partner.  “Healthcare facilities are like any other business, creating a welcoming and personalized environment will ensure repeat visits for everything from preventative to specialty care.”

Projects currently on the boards include:

• A relocation of the cardiology department at St. Peter’s University Hospital to accommodate for new equipment.
• A redesign of the Department of Surgery, also at St. Peter’s University Hospital, to accommodate growth/increased in-office services with nine exam rooms, three consultant rooms, and four stations of documentation and staff office/registration.
• The expansion of the Heart and Vascular Center at Hunterdon Healthcare‘s Bridgewater location by repurposing three exam rooms in an adjacent suite.
• A relocation of Valley Hospital‘s Primary Urgent Care Center facility in Dumont so that it can continue to meet patients’ needs in a modernized space.
• A finish upgrade to the lobby of Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, part of the Hackensack Meridian Health system, to provide a warm and welcoming environment.

On June 14 DMR joined Hunterdon Healthcare for the ribbon cutting of the new Ambulatory Surgery Center at the healthcare system’s Bridgewater facility, the second phase of a project that transformed a former Bank of America building into medical office space.

“While healthcare system expansion is now becoming the norm, Hunterdon Healthcare was ahead of the curve, recognizing and responding to changing residential patterns years ago,” Lloyd Rosenberg, President and CEO of DMR, said. “New Jersey residents are moving farther out from urban and suburban areas where a high quality of life is more affordable, and businesses of all kinds are smart to expand or move close to potential customers, or in this case, patients.”

“Patients shop around for healthcare the same way they do for other products and services,” he added. “We’re reimagining spaces to support Hunterdon Healthcare’s goal to provide personalized care in easily accessible office spaces.”

This project is DMR’s latest in a thriving portfolio for the rapidly-expanding Hunterdon Healthcare system, a portfolio which also includes the imaging center, a third phase, at the Bridgewater facility; two phases that brought pediatrics, podiatry, behavioral health and other specialties to the system’s facility in Hawk Pointe; and a family practice to the system’s Hickory Run Medical Office Building in Califon. DMR also previously completed the Maternity and Newborn Care Unit at the Flemington facility.

On February 27 St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick dedicated the new Simulation Center for Interprofessional Learning, a 5,500 SF space that provides educational space for resident’s use and practice. The space includes The Institute for Bedside Medicine, which teaches medical interviewing; The Institute for Technical Simulation, which uses state-of-the-art equipment to teach and evaluate skills; and a medical reference library for providers and patients.

“Technology, as well as changing needs of patients and practitioners, continues to provide opportunities to rethink underutilized spaces to create a more organized, cohesive, and comprehensive healthcare experience for St. Peters Hospital staff and patients,” Lloyd Rosenberg, President and CEO, said. “It is especially rewarding to fulfill the architectural needs of healthcare professionals that are on the cutting edge of medical breakthroughs with offerings like the Simulation Center for Interprofessional Learning.”

The St. Peter’s Simulation Lab is among numerous healthcare projects completed by DMR Architects, which includes projects for numerous other major hospitals in New Jersey. In addition to our detailed portfolio of completed projects, we look forward to even more openings in 2018, which among several projects with Hunterdon Healthcare, will include the new surgery center at their facility in Bridgewater, in addition to several projects for Hackensack Meridian Health.