Exterior, interior construction on schedule at new Samaritan Hospital

MOSES LAKE — Exterior insulation is almost installed, the exterior water barrier is making its way around the building, and windows are being installed in some sections of the new Samaritan Hospital.  

“There is a lot of work going on right now,” said Abram Jenks of the Klosh Group, the consultants working with Samaritan Healthcare on the construction of the new hospital. “There are over 180 people (working on site).” 

Crews are pouring curbs for the new parking lot, working on interior framing and installing utilities, and Jenks said hospital staff are starting to do what he called a box walk. 

“(A box walk) is when each department comes out and reviews the physical, in place, outlet locations and how different rooms are going to be utilized,” he said. “We do that before sheetrock goes on the wall. That way if (a utility) needs to be moved, it’s much easier to move than when the wall is finished.” 

Some medical equipment that needs to be installed during construction is arriving on site, Jenks said, some of which must be refrigerated. 

Overall project cost was estimated at $225 million and that’s still the estimate, Jenks said. Contingency funds were built in to pay for unanticipated expenses, and about $3.3 million is left of Samaritan’s contingency. (There’s a separate contingency carried by the contractor.) 

Jenks said there were no requests for changes that would require money from the contingency fund in June, but there will be before the summer is over. Discussions are ongoing between the general contractor, architects, and the electrical contractor to determine how much. At issue is whether the electrical contractor got sufficient information as changes have been made. Jenks said the impact on the contingency fund could be more than $1 million.  

While the project is still on schedule, there’s the potential for a slowdown due to the need to coordinate different subcontractors as changes are made. 

“It’s really challenging. As soon as you move one system, if you move electrical conduit, then you might disrupt the fire sprinklers, then you move the fire sprinklers, and you disrupt the ductwork. Move the ductwork, then you disrupt the plumbing,” he said. 

Graham, the general contractor, is working to reduce any possible delays, Jenks said. If the delays are too long it starts to get expensive. 

“With that many people on site, any impacted schedule would have substantial cost,” Jenks said.  

Samaritan commissioners will decide in September whether or not to build a storage building as part of the hospital project.  

Joe Kunkel, the lead consultant on the project, said the building would be located next to the new hospital’s loading dock and be used both to store equipment and materials on-site during construction and for equipment after the building is finished.  

Kunkel said designers are working on two options, one that’s about 8,000 square feet, and one that’s 12,000 square feet. Bids will be accepted through Aug. 30, Kunkel said.