Exterior elevator takes shape at University Hospital
The work is the beginning of a $15.2 million project to add 65 beds to the hospital, which provides many unique patient services for our region including burns, digestive health, trauma and stroke care.
In preparation for the renovation of the 10th and 11th floors at USA Health University Hospital, workers are erecting scaffolding for a large exterior freight elevator that will ferry construction materials and personnel to and from the top floors starting later this month.
The work is the beginning of a $15.2 million project to add 65 beds to the hospital, which provides many unique patient services for our region including burns, digestive health, trauma and stroke care. When complete, both the 10th and 11th floors will house state-of-the-art medical/surgical and critical care patient suites along with two isolation rooms, four Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant patient rooms, associated nursing stations and common areas.
During the renovation, the exterior freight elevator will enable workers to access the top floors without entering the hospital’s interior, said Robert “Bobby” Stanford, director of facilities management. It will have the capacity to lift 4,000 pounds or 11 people as high as 160 feet in the air using a rack-and-pinion system.
USA Health received permission from the Alabama Certificate of Need Review Board for the renovation project in August. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.
