As part of a joint venture, Hernandez Consulting & Construction has completed a task order under their Department of Veterans Affairs South Florida MATOC to design and construct a new MRI clinic for the VA hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida. Designed by Hernandez Consulting & Construction’s in-house architecture firm, Albert Architecture, the new 6,169 square foot building includes two (2) entrances, one (1) reception area, two (2) waiting rooms, one (1) large MRI system component room, two (2) MRI control rooms, two (2) MRI procedure rooms, the mandated four MRI safety zones, three (3) storage and linen rooms, three (3) unisex restrooms, one (1) staff break room, five (5) patient prep rooms, one (1) reading room, one (1) recovery and screening room, one (1) chief tech office, (1) lead tech desk area, one (1) electrical room, and one (1) HAC room. Outpatient access is from a new formal accessible courtyard, with a new glass wall system enclosing the MRI facility. With glass walls, the design creates an inviting entrance that also floods the interior spaces with natural light.
Hernandez Consulting & Construction supplied casework in dressing rooms, control rooms, waiting rooms, and a nursing station in the inpatient holding area. Prep rooms have oxygen, suction, and air outlets on each room. The scanner rooms have oxygen, air, vacuum, anesthesia exhaust, and Nitrous Oxide outlets in each room. The new MRI clinic space is adjacent to the new Outpatient Mental Health Building (Bldg.16) and in the present Garden Shop area in the tunnel.
The change in cost and completion date were due to owner-requested changes. It was determined that an elevator was needed to connect the clinic to the upper floors of the hospital for emergency access. This required additional surveying of the area and design of the elevator and connecting lobby spaces.
