Moses Lake Hospital

A Six-Year Journey: Samaritan Hospital

Samaritan Hospital has a long history of serving members of the Moses Lake community. When they first opened their doors in 1949, they were operating out of a converted Army barracks. An official hospital was eventually built in 1955 and has been delivering healthcare to area residents ever since.

As the region has continued to grow, so have the needs of the hospital. The current facility is overcrowded and struggling to meet changing healthcare regulations for air handling, energy codes, and seismic standards.

In 2019, the Samaritan Healthcare board of directors decided it was time for a new hospital that could better support patients and staff. They engaged The Healthcare Collaborative Group (THCG) for design and master planning of the project, while Klosh Group will provide the practical construction expertise required to bring their vision to life.

Watch construction “live”: https://lnkd.in/g5eGYmS3

A moving target

After a year of planning and pre-design, our team had a budget in place and construction documentation finalized. Then COVID-19 hit, forcing the project to go on hold. When work was finally able to resume, escalating construction and labor costs caused the project cost to skyrocket from $186 million to $225 million. Once again, the project was forced to pause while the hospital board found additional capital through a public bond.

It was an unprecedented situation, because rapidly shifting costs made it impossible to provide an exact number for our cost estimation. Instead, we focused on scenario planning and presented hospital stakeholders with range of options that reflected a low, medium, and high percentage of escalation. This due diligence allowed our client to choose how much risk they wanted to take on and provided a path to achieving budget alignment.

Navigating USDA requirements

Because the project was partially funded through a USDA loan, there were strict requirements around inspections, cost and scheduling. We forged a strong relationship with the USDA’s resident inspector and worked to coordinate all necessary inspections and documentation.

We also strategically released a series of early packages that allowed us to lock in more favorable rates and expedite the project schedule. This saved our client significant time and money, helping to offset the project’s earlier setbacks.

Clear and consistent leadership

Despite all the stops and starts, one thing remained consistent: the leadership team guiding the project. Between THCG’s operational knowledge and Klosh Group’s experience in complex construction projects, we were able to keep the project on track even when major events threatened to derail it.

Five years after the project started, construction is finally underway. The new Samaritan Hospital is scheduled for completion in 2025 and will provide Moses Lake residents with state-of-the art healthcare for generations to come.