Mercy Medical Center announced June 5 the completion of a newly constructed unit on the 17th floor of the Mary Catherine Bunting Center main hospital in downtown Baltimore. The new state-of-the art unit was completed in record time, ahead of schedule, in partnership with The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company. The 32-bed acute care became fully operational, with staff and equipment, and has treated patients diagnosed with COVID-19 as of June 1, according to a news release.
In response to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s call in mid-March to increase hospital bed capacity statewide to address the COVID-19 public health emergency, Mercy was the first hospital in the state to seek and receive Emergency Certificate of Need (CON) approval from the Maryland Health Care Commission to construct an entirely new hospital unit. Construction began with an aggressive 75-day deadline and was ultimately completed by Whiting-Turner in 64 days from the time of State CON approval. Whiting-Turner also provided critical short-term financing to allow the $12.5 million project to move forward immediately, according to the news release.
“Mercy is proud this important project was completed and operationalized in record time to enable expanded, specialized acute and intensive care for COVID-19 patients,” said Thomas R. Mullen, President & CEO of Mercy Health Services. “Public health experts and State officials agree it is also critical for Maryland to have additional hospital bed capacity—a key building block of the State’s recovery plan—in the event of a potential second COVID-19 surge. Mercy and hospitals throughout the State have all worked together to be more prepared than ever to serve the people of Maryland.”
“This project embodies Mercy’s mission of service to the greater Baltimore region to provide high-quality health services in a safe environment of compassionate care,” said David Maine, M.D. Executive Vice President of Mercy Health Services. “We thank Gov. Hogan for his leadership during this crisis and all State and City agencies that worked collaboratively with Mercy to expedite the project. And, we especially thank the entire team at Whiting-Turner for their remarkable work and steadfast commitment to the highest standards for quality and safety throughout the process.”
“The new Bunting 17 unit is a great demonstration of what can be accomplished when two strong organizations work together seamlessly to execute a project,” said Timothy J. Regan, President & CEO of The Whiting-Turner Contracting. “As the original General Contractor for the Mary Catherine Bunting Center, we were honored to work with Mercy once again and deliver the project ahead of schedule while meeting Mercy’s demands for a high-quality facility.”
The new unit includes advanced technology, physiological monitoring and expanded medical gas capabilities allowing the flexibility for ICU level care for all 32 beds. The state-of-the-art physiological monitors include alarm notifications directly linked to nursing communication devices. The unit includes enhanced HVAC systems to provide negative pressure throughout the floor and 12 additional designated isolation rooms.
The 17-story Mary Catherine Bunting Center main hospital at Mercy opened in 2010, representing a +$400 million investment in downtown Baltimore. The Bunting Center has undergone several significant expansions and upgrades since that time including a $26 million operating room project in 2016 to meet increased demand and a $42 million project to create The Family Childbirth & Children’s Center in 2012, according to the news release.
