In November 2007, Exempla Lutheran Medical Center selected Kiewit Building Group Inc., a subsidiary of Kiewit Corporation, to be their “constructor of choice” for their emergency department and triage renovation project. The project involved renovating a portion of the emergency department, waiting room, triage bays and support services.
Shortly after the award, the team held a kick-off meeting to identify what elements of the project were critical in achieving success. The team identified timely project completion and coordination with adjacent hospital programs’ construction activities as the critical elements.
To satisfy these critical elements, the team assembled a detailed project schedule to communicate the needs, responsibilities and accountability of each team member. The schedule was reviewed at weekly coordination meetings and updated to reflect the team’s progress. In an effort to further the coordination efforts, the Kiewit team met on a daily basis with the emergency department staff to ensure the staff understood the schedule and the effects of upcoming construction activities. This level of effort and commitment by all team members allowed Kiewit to complete the project as scheduled while minimizing disruptions to patient care services.
Kiewit’s commitment to the project and customer-focused services led to Exempla awarding Kiewit additional work to upgrade an adjacent X-ray room. Despite the additional work, the team was able to maintain the original project schedule.