Bayhealth’s Kent General Phase II expansion was the cover photo and story in Health Facilities Management. The magazine is a national trade journal.
The $148 million project officially opened in December 2011. The expansion linked the emergency department and cancer center to the original 1927 hospital building.
Jerry Peters, Bayhealth’s Director of Facilities Planning & Construction, said some renovations were done in the existing building as a part of the expansion so that transition to the new building would be nearly seamless.
While Phase I of the Campus Master Plan added a three-floor expansion to an existing patient tower, Phase II was more extensive, adding a 400,000 square feet that includes an expanded emergency department, cancer center, parking garage, and a patient entrance lobby incorporating contemporary design elements.
Because the lobby could be the first impression of Bayhealth Kent General for visitors, designers wanted more than functional qualities.
“It’s more of a challenge. The goal was a facility that is appropriate, but when people come in, they feel calm and comfortable,” said Peters.
“It was a good project,” he said, noting the expansion was a two year construction process, plus planning and design.
“This type of construction is a process I’ve been involved with for over 30 years, but it’s still exciting to see the planning come to fruition. We’ve gotten a lot of compliments on the end product from both staff and visitors,” Peters said. “And it’s very gratifying when your project is on the cover of a national magazine.”
Bayhealth’s construction and facilities improvement projects are never finished: Peters says he has several upcoming projects, the largest being the master plan for Bayhealth’s Milford campus.
