Trinity Health Muskegon

Shared Culture and Efficiencies Fund Regional Consolidation

When three hospitals within a two-mile radius consolidated into one space to resolve duplication and confusion, astute operational planning and deep collaboration with Trinity Health Mercy Muskegon front line staff created an opportunity to decrease costs, increase return on investment, and create a single culture for this consolidated hospital system. The result was a high performing hospital campus that expects to achieve an 11-year return on a $271M capital investment

Mercy Health Muskegon was created in 2008 as Mercy and Hackley hospital systems were merged under Trinity Health. HGA worked with Trinity Health to develop a comprehensive Master Plan for the consolidation, a key component of which was using Lean to streamline delivery and create better operational models. Programming included definition of services to consolidate at the new campus based on target market growth, clinical performance, current state facility assessment and ROI. Parallel to programming and design, HGA developed an ideal staffing model for the hospital, taking advantage of operational process improvements, which is expected to deliver an 11-year ROI on this $271 million project.

The campus consolidation includes 267 patient beds, 19 operating rooms, 4 Cath/interventional radiology labs, a 48-bed emergency department, and associated support spaces. A 380,000 SF addition is integrated into with a 300,000 SF renovation of the existing hospital, which will be full upgraded, including all new, efficient MEP systems.

Facility flexibility and a focus on patient-centered collaboration became a major rallying point for leadership and staff over the course of the project. The innovative planning introduced flexible clinical platforms in lieu of traditional hospital departments. These include: universal patient rooms and standardized unit configuration, point-of-use supply locations, patient room accessibility, collaboration areas (resident works rooms and large classrooms), and flexible interventional platform support. Driver space sizes were developed using industry benchmarks for high-efficiency hospitals and tested and refined as part of the 3P design process. The new building doubles the size of the Muskegon campus, increases patient room capacity with expanded ED Services and Interventional Surgical Platform.  Much of the existing building was renovated enhancing its operational efficiency and incorporating the latest technology for improved patient care.

Supporting the new operational model is a design that reflects the colors and textures of nature found in this distinct western Michigan shoreline community. To explore the palette opportunities, the leadership team spent an afternoon on the beach immersing themselves in the lakeshore environment while reviewing materials and finishes and creating kaleidoscopes to take home as a reminder of the day.  The building material palette: stone, metal panel, and wood, evokes a strong relationship to the localized natural environment,  and relates not only to the community of patients and families, but to the staff and physicians as well. While the new addition builds on the legacy of the existing campus vernacular, it uses a more expressive and contemporary language.  The existing Corten steel and brick palette is re-interpreted in similar tonal qualities using natural stone, dark-bronze panels, and large expanses of glass.  The new bed tower, contrasting in form and color to the existing campus, is clad in a soft white metal panel that is symbolic of healing and the new life given to the campus.