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Just got home from a week in the Black Hills. We drove through many cities and might I say we've got it going on here. May not have the Black Hills as our backdrop but we look much better than quite a few big towns we drove through.
Doug Crabtree has been trying to get the city to trade property with him for a while. The hospital owns the land across Sunnyside from the hospital. They want to give the city that property and expand the hospital in to what is now the park. the amount of property they own is actually larger than the current park. A new building would go in there as an expansion. The only place I know of that they can go up on the current building is the 2nd floor that can be added above the NICU. The NICU can be expanded as there was additional shell space built that was never occupied. The NICU expansion has been talked about but nothing official as far as I know and I haven't heard anything about the 2nd floor going in anytime soon.
Doug Crabtree has been trying to get the city to trade property with him for a while. The hospital owns the land across Sunnyside from the hospital. They want to give the city that property and expand the hospital in to what is now the park. the amount of property they own is actually larger than the current park. A new building would go in there as an expansion. The only place I know of that they can go up on the current building is the 2nd floor that can be added above the NICU. The NICU can be expanded as there was additional shell space built that was never occupied. The NICU expansion has been talked about but nothing official as far as I know and I haven't heard anything about the 2nd floor going in anytime soon.
Chris,
We approach this from very different angles. I'll say I know EIRMC was able to recruit some sub-specialists faster than they thought.
What is your understanding of the shelled in space? Every ICU doctor I've ever worked with wanted more space and beds for his/her ICU we know the PICU has to expand. And that NICU, from the MD perspective was shelled in for more NICU services.
Perhaps more importantly, are you saying nothing can be built higher than the second floor over the NICU? Or could additional floors be built?
Also, I'm curious from your perspective why we don't have Skybridge from EIRMC to either Channing or Sunnyside. Great if they can get the park, but if not, aN enclosed Skybridge over Sunnyside would be closer for many to park and walk over. I doubt I'm the only one who likes enclosed Skybridges.
New services, not even in the pipeline will be happening prior to 2016 in the Women's and NICU area. When the PICU expands there, and my sources says the need is there, what could be better for families than a Skybridge directly to that section of the hospital? Most likely staff would park farther away so patients and visitors could be the closest.
I'll reluctantly admit I've seen HCA build parking towers in areas that were not aesthetically pleasing. My hope is that doesn't happen at EIRMC.
it is true that they got a lot of good people fast and that could spark the expansions but the problem with the shell space is that the NICU goes over capacity for 10 days and then drops well below for 3 weeks. The numbers are so sporadic that the expansion in to the shell space has never gotten enough momentum to happen.
When the NICU expansion happened it was built so that a 2nd floor could be built to house the rest of women's services.
This would essentially make it so women's services could be secured off from the main hospital (The NICU is already secured obviously). This would free up the space where the current women's dept is. I do not know if it could never be built higher than a 2nd floor, just that it was built so a 2nd floor could be built with little effort.
I don't think a skybridge is a bad idea but it would cost quite a bit and would be quite lengthy if you were going to connect it to the building. I also don't know what the city's thoughts are on it (how easy it would be to get a permit). I also don't know if this has ever been discussed by EIRMC/HCA, all I know is Crabtree's push has been to swap the land so all the property would be on the same side of Sunnyside. That being said, I can't believe rebuilding the park across the street would be any less expensive than the skybridge.
I don't know that the city would allow a parking tower, a deck maybe. I think if they made a deck above the lots they currently have, you would have enough parking.
I haven't been able to talk to my contact this week but will soon and I can see what the latest is to their knowledge.
it is true that they got a lot of good people fast and that could spark the expansions but the problem with the shell space is that the NICU goes over capacity for 10 days and then drops well below for 3 weeks. The numbers are so sporadic that the expansion in to the shell space has never gotten enough momentum to happen.
When the NICU expansion happened it was built so that a 2nd floor could be built to house the rest of women's services.
This would essentially make it so women's services could be secured off from the main hospital (The NICU is already secured obviously). This would free up the space where the current women's dept is. I do not know if it could never be built higher than a 2nd floor, just that it was built so a 2nd floor could be built with little effort.
I don't think a skybridge is a bad idea but it would cost quite a bit and would be quite lengthy if you were going to connect it to the building. I also don't know what the city's thoughts are on it (how easy it would be to get a permit). I also don't know if this has ever been discussed by EIRMC/HCA, all I know is Crabtree's push has been to swap the land so all the property would be on the same side of Sunnyside. That being said, I can't believe rebuilding the park across the street would be any less expensive than the skybridge.
I don't know that the city would allow a parking tower, a deck maybe. I think if they made a deck above the lots they currently have, you would have enough parking.
I haven't been able to talk to my contact this week but will soon and I can see what the latest is to their knowledge.
Thanks Chris.
Cost is always a good reason, but they are building for the future. EIRMC is a key part of one "advantage" if you will, I.F. has over other Economic Development areas. Tertiary medical care is something REDI wants to increase.
That being written, let me clarify what I was told (sort of) so I don't betray confidences. My understanding is the PICU and maybe other pediatric services would go to the second floor. Whether or not everything planned will fit there, IDK. I think the Women's Center may get remodeled if needed, but I don't think that is headed for the second floor.
I can't use a perfect word or that would give some major clues to one of my sources. Let me say it this way: From my work at PCMC, I know some babies aren't as sick as others, but they can't go home yet until they are big enough. Essentially, NICU II needed not everything a NICU IIIb is for some patients. Perhaps when an expanded PICU is built on the second floor, and that is a huge need as the only one between here and SLC or Boise, a smaller NICU II might be placed by the PICU.
You'Re correct, births are cyclical. Here's a hint: Lots of summer weddings create more deliveries in springtime. There are other times too, but the more OB/GYN services offered, the more that results in a higher census. EIRMC could take overflow babies from N. Utah or WY, as the NICU are full in UT. So is the PICU at PCMC.
They had a key player move, which set them back. I think that has been resolved, plus for the first time ever, Idaho Falls has started having a Reproductive Endocrinologist come to I.F. for fertility clinics. In Vitro will start before 2016.
At the same time, other, totally different programs have landed some very needed physicians. So pressure to expand is more than Women and Children.
And all that matters for SCC. I still say a kids store for clothes and maybe some supplies or toys is needed. Let alone what parents travelling for IVF need, when they are stressed.
I thought to myself one day driving on Woodruff " why replace underground utilities? I wonder if its for future expansion north"
I still have to write the screwy thing, IMO. Do you know anyone who lives by the bigger canals? I.F. has plans. Great for the city, sucks, IMO, for owners!
it is true that they got a lot of good people fast and that could spark the expansions but the problem with the shell space is that the NICU goes over capacity for 10 days and then drops well below for 3 weeks. The numbers are so sporadic that the expansion in to the shell space has never gotten enough momentum to happen.
When the NICU expansion happened it was built so that a 2nd floor could be built to house the rest of women's services.
This would essentially make it so women's services could be secured off from the main hospital (The NICU is already secured obviously). This would free up the space where the current women's dept is. I do not know if it could never be built higher than a 2nd floor, just that it was built so a 2nd floor could be built with little effort.
I don't think a skybridge is a bad idea but it would cost quite a bit and would be quite lengthy if you were going to connect it to the building. I also don't know what the city's thoughts are on it (how easy it would be to get a permit). I also don't know if this has ever been discussed by EIRMC/HCA, all I know is Crabtree's push has been to swap the land so all the property would be on the same side of Sunnyside. That being said, I can't believe rebuilding the park across the street would be any less expensive than the skybridge.
I don't know that the city would allow a parking tower, a deck maybe. I think if they made a deck above the lots they currently have, you would have enough parking.
I haven't been able to talk to my contact this week but will soon and I can see what the latest is to their knowledge.
Chris,
Let me try to clarify two points I haven't made clearly enough.
First, a parking garage, with however many layers, is what I've meant when writing about parking. You make excellent points about what the city will allow; however, if REDI wants to grow tertiary medical, the city may have to re-visit previous thoughts, if any, about a parking garage.
Most hospitals use current parking lots when expanding. The NICU, even Women's Center,, E.R., Imaging and more were all parking originally until expansions built hospital units there. In one way I can say sure, it makes sense to turn one or two parking lots into parking garages. However, unless the hospital can expand needed departments easily to a parking lot, I think that isn't always the solution. Those patient parking lots are full during the day.
Do they want to build an employee parking garage on Channing where the one level lot is? I hope not. Expensive Channing access just to park seems quite expensive to me.
I've seen additions have 1-3 levels of parking and then two -four levels of clinical services built higher. I can easily see a parking structure with floors upward, with clinical services. If a bldg. like that were built south of Sunnyside, to me, a Skybridge would be perfect coming over to Women and Children's Services (W&C). Things like ICUs, surgical suites and imaging need to stay central in the hospital. But, they gave up their classrooms and more when Cardiac and Pulmonary needed the space. And the initial PICU was smaller than planned, given that Cardiac and ICU space had to be used.
I've seen HCA either not have great architects, or corporate vision, about patients looking out their windows to see parking garages. How unrelaxing.... I think there are better choices and so did some or many at that HCA hospital. That horrible structure got rebuilt with another addition to that HCA hospital. But, unlike EIRMC, that HCA hospital did few air transpotrts. EIRMC certainly did ~ 800 last year. Skybridges and Choppers may not be good too close to each other, IDK. But, I've seen parking garages with levels and the heliport pads on the top.
2. What I was told, and it's possible the person used the wrong word, is a patient tower over the NICU. It's simply me thinking if they are building upward, why not build a skybridge over Sunnyside too?
Smaller cities than I.F. have Skybridges in Idaho. Bonner General (NID) recently opened this one: Bonner General Health
I hope I've clarified so my original thoughts can be understood more easily. FWIW, I forgot what year I first heard about EIRMC trying to get the park. But, things do change. Who knows, except someone is annexing and plotting Sunnyside south of EIRMC and about to Hitt.
I still have to write the screwy thing, IMO. Do you know anyone who lives by the bigger canals? I.F. has plans. Great for the city, sucks, IMO, for owners!
Interesting questioning.....IDK
I do know some people that live near the canals but I hadn't heard about any plans the city has. I have a wild guess but wont share because i simply dont know.
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Eirmc
we know the PICU has to expand. And that NICU, from the MD perspective was shelled in for more NICU services.
Let alone what parents travelling for IVF need, when they are stressed.
