Lee Company knew going in, that building a new chiller tower for HCA’s Parkridge Medical Center in Chattanooga would be incredibly difficult. Everything was out of the ordinary, from the hospital’s location to construction logistics. With no offices in Chattanooga, the project crew worked out of town, away from family and friends for almost a year. The project involved 3D modeling, 12-hour days, limited laydown space in the Life Flight helicopter area, turning the AC off in a working hospital (several times), minimizing patient impact, and keeping hospital leaders happy. The results? Lee Company’s team handled every Chattanooga chiller challenge.
EMJ Parkridge Hospital received the 2019 Eagle Award from the Greater Tennessee Associated Builders and Contractors chapter and the 2019 Excellence Award from the North Alabama Associated Builders and Contractors Chapter.
Speaking up before shutting down
Healthcare customers have concerns other customers don’t: They need to get the job done right without negatively impacting patient care.
On the Parkridge Medical Center chiller tower project, achieving that goal was complicated by the fact that the hospital didn’t have automated controls: Everything had to be manually adjusted. When the Lee Company team cut a 20-inch pipe for chilled water, there was no going back. The work had to move forward quickly, so adjustments could be made immediately, and the correct amount of water controlled.
The work was done on weekends and at night to minimize customer impact, and Lee Company coordinated carefully with HCA. Communications planning and updates were constant. Still, at one point, the Lee Company project manager had the HCA director of operations standing next to him saying, “You have one minute to bring this hospital back up.
Even with that extreme pressure, Lee Company delivered an exceptional, injury-free performance and brought the hospital back online, on schedule, every time. The results are cool: The new equipment is operating beautifully, the Lee Company team is back home, the director of operations is breathing easier, and there are more HCA jobs in Lee Company’s future!
P.S. EMJ Parkridge Hospital was one of 5 Lee Company projects honored with a 2019 ABC award – and several of those projects received multiple awards! Altogether, Lee Company took home 9 ABC awards this year. That’s incredible. We greatly appreciate this industry recognition of our dedicated professionals and their work. Thanks to our team and clients. We couldn’t do it without you!
LEE COMPANY’S AWARD-WINNING PROJECTS INCLUDE:
- Centennial Medical Center Ortho Project: Specialty Contractor – Commercial (Mechanical more than $10M)
- EMJ Parkridge Chiller Tower: Specialty Contractor – Commercial (projects $1M – $5M)
- Thomas Rutherford CRAC Replacements: Specialty Contractor – Commercial (under $1M)
- BG1: Specialty Contractor – Industrial (under $2M)
