Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, Vermont.
Our team was engaged to develop master-planning, programming, and backfill planning for 1.0 million square feet of acute care programs at Vermont’s premier academic medical center. This project required a comprehensive review of existing operations and capital budgets for Support Services functions to ensure optimal use of resources and alignment with the center’s strategic goals. One of the critical components of this engagement was the execution of a solicitation process for a new $3.0 million Commissary. This involved pre-qualifying vendor proponents and meticulously crafting and issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for dietary services, ensuring the highest standards of service and efficiency for the center’s dietary needs.
Our involvement became even more crucial following the discovery of significant accounting errors that led to a substantial budget shortfall. This shortfall was only identified after the expansion project had already begun, throwing the hospital into a state of financial uncertainty. The errors led to the removal of the hospital’s senior administration team and necessitated immediate action to determine how much of the planned construction could be completed with the remaining funds. We were brought in to assist the medical center in developing alternative schemes to address critical back-fill challenges that arose after the failure of their previous “Renaissance Project.”
Our team worked diligently to assess the financial situation and devise viable solutions that would accommodate the center’s immediate needs while laying the groundwork for future growth and development. This involved a detailed re-evaluation of project scopes, cost estimations, and construction timelines to align with the revised budget. Through meticulous planning, stakeholder engagement, and innovative problem-solving, we provided the expertise and stability needed to navigate this turbulent period. Our efforts ensured that the medical center could still proceed with essential components of the expansion, optimizing the use of available funds and setting the stage for continued success despite the financial constraints.
Project completed by G. Cavanaugh with Steffian Bradley Architects.
