Contractor Reflects on Hospital Building Project with Pride
“Many hours of planning and coordination are part of that campus,” said Tony Miller. That campus is Penn Highlands State College, the new state-of-the-art hospital and medical office building that will open this summer on Colonnade Boulevard in State College. As one of the superintendents for McClure Company, a mechanical contractor working on the facility, Tony has been overseeing a crew of 20 men and women handling the air distribution work for the entire campus for the past 20 months.
Penn Highlands State College marks the first time that Penn Highlands Healthcare is building a hospital with an adjacent medical office building from the ground up to its specifications.
“We planned and built this hospital with a patient-centric design to offer our patients and their families innovative and comfortable care close to home,” explained Rhonda Halstead, MSM, Regional Market President, Central Region, for Penn Highlands Healthcare. “When this hospital opens, people will have emergency care, innovative cancer therapies and a host of other primary and specialty services in one convenient location.”
The new Penn Highlands State College will include:
- An Emergency Department with 10 private treatment rooms and a trauma room for prompt assessment and expert care
- A state-of-the-art Surgical Department with three high-tech operating suites and an Endoscopy Procedure Room
- 18 modern and private inpatient rooms
- A Medical Imaging Department that utilizes the latest technology for the sharpest images
The State College Medical Office Building will offer:
- Penn Highlands Hahne Cancer Center
- Cutting-edge technology with a personalized approach
- Nationally respected oncologists
- Multidisciplinary care including advanced medical oncology/infusion services
- State-of-the-art radiation services
- Technologically advanced linear accelerator for precision accuracy
- Skilled and compassionate family medicine and specialty care physicians
- Gynecological services for every stage of a woman’s life
- Women’s Medical Imaging staffed by professionals who understand a woman’s special needs
- Pulmonology services including advanced screenings, diagnostics and treatments
- Cardiology services
- Walk-in Laboratory services
- QCare Walk-in Clinic for expert care for all ages
- A Retail Pharmacy with convenient drive-thru service
Working on the project for nearly two years, Mr. Miller witnessed firsthand the technological advancements and convenience the new hospital will offer.
“It truly is a state-of-the-art building,” he said with pride. “Although it is a community hospital, Penn Highlands State College has all of the services of a larger hospital in a compact, easy-to-navigate facility.”
As the project nears completion, Mr. Miller reflected on the actual building process. “We take pride in what we build. Everyone who worked on this project gave 110%,” he said. “Like every construction project, there were the normal challenges to contend with along the way such as wintery weather — snow, sleet and rain. Also, daily logistics such as where to store deliveries until they were needed sometimes presented a challenge.”
However, Mr. Miller was quick to point out the cooperation shown among the trades. “The project ran very smoothly and efficiently largely due to the great leadership onsite helping to schedule deliveries and coordinate installations,” he explained.
Mr. Miller is looking forward to the opening of Penn Highlands State College. “It is refreshing to know that I was part of providing indoor comfort for all of the patients, doctors and nurses who will occupy the hospital for years to come.
In addition, I live in Clearfield County, 30 minutes west of the hospital, and my family uses Penn Highlands’ medical offices in Philipsburg,” said the married father of two. “As a dad, it is exciting to know that we have another medical facility within arms’ reach if I or my family should need medical care. When I drive by the campus, I say, ‘that is my hospital.’”