'energy efficiency' posts

Despite the winter-like weather, spring is quickly flying by. In honor of it being the fifth month of the year, here are five facts to note about the new Swedish/Issaquah campus located in the Issaquah Highlands.

1: The medical center opens in two phases.

Phase 1 opens in just under two months – on July 14. This phase includes the opening of the medical office building and outpatient services, including: primary care, emergency room, imaging center, breast-care center, outpatient surgery, cancer center, physical therapy, outpatient lab, testing and treatment center, and specialty-care such as:

• Physical and Occupational Therapy

Phase 2 opens Nov. 1, 2011. As you may have heard, we are several months ahead of schedule and will open the inpatient hospital services earlier than planned. The following services are coming in November:

• Inpatient Surgery
• Labor & Delivery and Postpartum Units
• Pediatric Inpatient Unit
• Medical/Surgical Inpatient Unit
• Intensive Care Unit

 2: Get a sneak peak of the new campus on Saturday, July 9.

Save Saturday, July 9 for a day to celebrate with Swedish. From 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Swedish will be hosting a celebration that promises fun for the whole family. Along with tours, health-education classes, and giveaways, the annual Highlands Day festival will be taking place right next door. More to come!

3: Shop at the New Swedish/Issaquah

In addition to providing an array of medical services, Swedish is enhancing the patient experience by incorporating new retail shops into the facility. Located in the heart of the new Swedish/Issaquah campus, the Shops at Swedish brings together health and wellness products, unique gifts and personalized services. Here’s a look at the shops opening July 14:

Lee Brei, Swedish’s director of Facility Services, and Susan Gillespie, senior project manager for the Swedish/Issaquah Campus, are on a mission. They intend to make Swedish’s first major Eastside site the most energy-efficient facility in the region.

Swedish broke ground last October for a new 175-bed hospital and five-story medical office building (MOB) on 12.5 acres just off I-90/Exit 18. It is the first full-scale medical complex to be built in King County in more than 25 years. Plans call for 500,000+ square feet of built space, with the MOB targeted to open in July 2011 and the hospital seven months later.

“We have one chance to do this project right and take advantage of the best practices in new hospital construction,” explains Gillespie. “The key goals are to integrate advanced technologies and processes that significantly reduce energy consumption, cut our carbon footprint, and lower overall operating costs so we can provide the most cost-effective care.”

Brei adds, “The Issaquah Highlands is known for its ‘green’ building strategies, so we’ll fit right in with the community perception of what a new facility should be.”

Hospitals spend more on energy per square foot than any other commercial building type, notes the American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers.