West Columbia, SC - Lexington Medical Center’s clinical expansion project reached an important milestone Thursday with a ‘topping out’ ceremony. This significant event occurs when the last beam is placed atop a structure during its construction.
The top beam for Lexington Medical Center’s new patient care tower contains the signatures of hundreds of Lexington Medical Center employees who have signed it this year.
“This week’s ‘topping out’ milestone is important to us because it means Lexington Medical Center is one step closer to finishing our clinical expansion and allowing us to have the space to accommodate the expanding health care needs of our growing community for many years to come,” said Tod Augsburger, president & CEO of Lexington Medical Center.
The 550,000 square foot tower will have eight floors for patient services. Initially, the hospital will open about 70 beds there with the ability to open more in the future.
Inside, there will be additional operating rooms, a relocated Labor & Delivery department, postpartum beds, newborn nurseries, additional intensive care and medical/surgical beds, and space for expanding clinical departments.
Lexington Medical Center delivers the second highest number of babies in South Carolina each year, performs more than 23,000 surgeries annually and operates the busiest Emergency department statewide.
With the population of Lexington County increasing rapidly, Lexington Medical Center needs to add onto its facilities to meet the needs of a growing patient base. The 438-bed hospital remains full, with steady growth annually.
More than 700 workers on site have worked a total of 1 million man hours on the project so far.
The top beam had an evergreen and flag on it when it was lifted into position. The evergreen tree is a symbol of good luck, growth and longevity. The flag symbolizes the construction crew’s pride in the accomplishment.
Brasfield & Gorrie is the general contractor for the expansion project and Perkins+Will is the architectural firm.
“Reaching the top of this new patient tower is a critical milestone that reflects the hard work and dedication of the men and women on this team,” said Brasfield & Gorrie Vice President and Division Manager Michael Byrd, who oversees the company’s Charlotte office. “We look forward to delivering this project in 2019 and adding this state-of-the-art facility to our legacy of health care construction, which spans more than 50 years.”
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