Project Overview
The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, DBHDS, along with governmental officials, was considering how it could move forward with a specific population needing healthcare that it was serving in certain hospitals. The Commonwealth was concerned about the physical condition of some of the hospitals due to their age. The Commonwealth's choices included moving ahead with what it considered increasingly costly maintenance and repairs of existing structures, building new hospitals, investing in community services, or a combination of these alternatives. The Commonwealth wanted a comprehensive plan on how to best serve this population which was growing in addition to other populations needing healthcare.

Solution
Olshesky Design Group (ODG) was hired as a Subcontractor to Health Managements Associates (HMA) to provide facility condition assessments for four hospitals and an associated Dining and Kitchen facility for the Commonwealth of Virginia. HMA addressed the regulatory and programmatic requirements of the population needing healthcare. The hospitals were all located on large campuses in urban and suburban settings and totaling 500,000 gsf. Two of the hospitals are historic being built in 1939 and 1953 and two were built more recently in 1989 and 2008. The Dining and Kitchen facility was built in 1954. Prior to visiting each site, ODG reviewed existing documents and reports. The on-site visits at each hospital were approximately two weeks. During this time, ODG interviewed key personnel, reviewed additional documentation and performed walk-thru surveys. ODG assessed the substructure, exterior enclosure, interior construction and the buildings systems. The buildings systems included the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. Findings from these activities were then analyzed and incorporated into a report.

Result
ODG's resulting findings from the analysis included asset deficiencies, cost estimates for deficiency repair, expected lifecycles and prioritized recommended maintenance and repairs. The facility condition assessment report included performance indices of each hospital. ODG's report concluded that the hospitals were in much better condition than previously assumed. Its findings gave the hospitals performance indices of fair to good. There was only one secondary building, the Dining and Kitchen facility that needed extensive work. While its exterior envelope was in good shape, its roofing membrane needed replacement and some systems had begun to fail. The reason for this facility's poor condition was that maintenance had been delayed while waiting for a new facility to be built. In addition, ODG made some general comments and recommendations, to include sustainability, historic preservation and disaster resilience. ODG's 100 page report also pointed out the many awards that the hospitals had won for their maintenance personnel and for their sustainable projects.

About Olshesky Design Group, LLC
Olshesky Design Group is a Economically Disadvantaged Women Owned Small Business, EDWOSB, and a Small Disadvantaged Business, SDB having graduated from the 8(a) program. More information about Olshesky Design Group can be found at www.odesigngroup.com. They can be reached by e-mail, info@odesigngroup.com or by telephone, 703-548-0179.