Return to Main Menu

Construction crew dedicated to new facility by Heather Woolwine Public Relations It’s like no time passed at all, and yet, the new replacement hospital takes on more shape by the day. It’s hard to believe that less than a year ago, ground broke for the new facility. Despite what some may think they know about construction and people in that industry, it’s easy to see that those working on Phase I stand committed to bettering patient care in the Lowcountry.   “When you take on the construction of a health care facility, it becomes your mission in life,” said Steve Mann, senior project manager for BGKS; the conglomerate of three firms spearheading the project, namely, Brasfield & Gorrie, M.B. Kahn, and SMG. “This isn’t just some office building. It’s a health care facility.”   Dan Mortimer, BGKS superintendent, agrees. “I worked in casino construction for years, including Donald Trump’s Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. I really didn’t have any reason to leave that part of construction other than I felt like building hospitals was more noble.”   Mann and Mortimer work for Brasfield & Gorrie, the second largest health care builder in the country. Hank Harrison works for M.B. Kahn construction, a company with a long-standing relationship with MUSC and various projects around campus.   The new MUSC hospital, corner of Courtnay and Doughty streets, continues to grow. A life building hospitals, while ultimately rewarding, can also entail some sacrifice. Mann, Mortimer, and Harrison said it’s normal routine to work an 80-hour week. Also, once a hospital is finished, they must move on to the next project which could be anywhere from the next town to the next state over.   Still, the MUSC project embodies some unique aspects interesting to the veteran builders. “There are very few free-standing hospitals of this size in the country, so that was a great opportunity for us,” Mann said.    “The architecture of the building will be pretty stunning once it is completed,” Mortimer said. “And not just the exterior, but the interior as well. It will be very patient-friendly and will really foster an environment of healing.”   In addition to offering top-notch patient care, the new hospital takes into account the little things, like providing every patient room with a window and view of the city or the river.   A hospital project of this size mandated the need for intense cooperation among the various construction companies, in addition to a need for incredible attention to detail and teamwork. “You start a project like this by building it in your mind first. Then you work with a preconstruction team. Actually, for this project, the preconstruction team will have worked an equal amount of time to that of actual construction,” Mortimer said. “The rest is scheduling, and creating a flow and strategy that will make the logistics work.”   All three men were content with the amount of progress already erected in less then a year. “Believe it or not, our main goal here is not to mess up traffic,” Mann laughed.   During the past year, construction teams battled unique conditions, including bad soil, tight proximity to several streets and highways, and a new level of collaboration with the replacement hospital’s neighbors, the VA Hospital and Roper Hospital.   Surprises and conflicts sometimes cause issues, but Mann relies on the notion of teamwork to solve anything that arises. “You start with teamwork and you continue with teamwork until the job is finished,” he said.   “The main key is to keep everyone focused on the vision and end result,” Mortimer said. “You have to work through things as they come up and keep your eye on the prize, as they say. Think of the good that this facility will do for so many people, and it keeps you going.”   For updated information on the new MUSC hospital, visit its Web site at http://www.muschealth.com/replacementhospital. Hospital Facts The new Phase I hospital is 641,000 square feet with a seven-story patient tower and four-level platform designed to house diagnostic and treatment areas of the facility. A 52,000 square-foot energy plant will support a utility connection to the hospital and will accommodate all future phases as well. The structure is on schedule for completion in fall 2007. Get to know them Steve Mann—Mann is the fourth generation in his family to pursue construction, and thus knows the industry inside and out. After 22 years in health care building, his duties range from estimating and project management to schedule and quality control, including billing and financial issues. Jointly responsible for the MUSC project, Mann leads a qualified team of professionals who know how to successfully complete projects of this magnitude. His wife, Barbara works as the administrative assistant for the project, and in his spare time, Mann enjoys time with her, their three sons, daughters-in-law and four grandchildren. An avid outdoorsman, Mann loves to hunt, fish, swim, garden, and participate in competition shooting. Dan Mortimer—Mortimer holds 26 years of construction experience and was trained as a civil engineer, in addition to extensive architectural experience and field knowledge. Jointly responsible for the MUSC project, Mortimer keeps up with the budget and keeps everything on schedule, in addition to safety and quality control, labor cost management, and other responsibilities necessary to the field operation and success of the project. Married for 19 years to his wife, Nancy, they have six children ranging in age from 13 to 1. He participates in international evangelical missions, hunting, fishing, jogging, weightlifting, shooting sport clays, and furniture building and refinishing. Hank Harrison—Harrison serves as the superintendent for the new hospital, central energy plant and the helipad parking garage. With M.B. Kahn for more than 10 years, Harrison specializes in hospital projects and has a vast knowledge of MUSC. He contributed service to the McClennan Banks Ambulatory Care renovation, a three-story addition to Rutledge Tower, renovations to the Basic Science Building, and most recently, the completion of renovations and additions to the Darby Children’s Research Institute. Harrison earned a degree in civil engineering and served in the Marine Corps for six years. Living with his wife of 24 years, Terry, he is the proud father of Elizabeth, who attends the Savannah School of the Arts. When time allows, Harrison can be found on the golf course or fishing. Friday, Nov. 18, 2005 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.