Portland VA Ward 5C
Ward 5C was a Design/Build project of the existing Psychiatric Ward at the Portland VA Medical Center where current mental health patient safety deficiencies needed to be upgraded. The overall approach and concept of the project was to identify and rectify current items within the individual patient rooms that present an immediate danger to the life and safety of the patient. Existing conditions such as the drop ceilings needed to be replaced with hard lid ceilings.
Replacing existing doors, frames and hardware were required. Highlighted by the soft, suicide doors used on the restroom doors that were designed to pull off their hinges when too strong a force is applied. The doors are constructed of a foam core material coated with a non-porous, fire rated vinyl.
Other items included replacing fire suppression heads, light fixtures and HVAC grilles with tamper proof screws, new toilets with in-wall flushometers, updated nurse call equipment, flush mounted wall fixtures, new security monitoring equipment and bifurcating of a few existing rooms into additional rooms.
Major considerations of this project required that Glen/Mar: be knowledgeable of working around patients, staff, and visitors in a hospital/mental health clinic setting; establish a "Site Specific" Safety Plan; evaluate, establish, and follow specific infectious control procedures.
The project required coordinated phasing as the 5C is an active Mental Health Ward operating at nearly 100% capacity
