HealthSouth digital hospital
The HealthSouth digital hospital was an uncompleted project for a landmark all-digital "hospital of the future" which would serve as the full-service flagship of HealthSouth's far-reaching chain of rehabilitation hospitals and outpaitent facilities. Construction of the hospital began in November 2001 on 19 acres of the HealthSouth corporate headquarters campus near the Cahaba River on U. S. Highway 280 in Birmingham. The sleekly-modern design was the work of Birmingham's CLA Architecture in association with Kirksey Architecture of Houston, Texas, which was responsible for designing and detailing the external cladding.
The 13-story building was joined by a smaller physicians' office building to total nearly 1 million square feet. An adjacent 10-level parking garage was designed to accommodate 1,500 vehicles. The lower three floors of the building were designed for hospital functions, with 3 MRI units and as many as 30 operating suites. A gamma knife facility was planned for the second floor, in a heavily shielded concrete enclosure. The fifth floor would serve as a hotel for the families of patients while another floor would be left unfinished for future expansion. Above that level, the building's footprint was reduced to a 110 by 330 foot rectangle. Floors 6 through 13 would house 219 patient rooms and the uppermost floor would serve as a mechanical penthouse.
HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy conceived of the project as a prototype for a technologically-advanced 21st century hospital. Medical staff would have constant secure access to patient records, charts and medical imaging throughout the facility. Suppliers of medical equipment collaborated with the architects to tailor the design for evolving systems.
Structural engineer LBYD, Inc. designed a heavy concrete frame to shoulder the structural requirements of the hospital tower. About 80,000 cubic yards of special high-strength concrete were poured for the hospital, parking deck and site walls. Estimates of construction cost climbed at one point to over $400 million.
In 2003, in the wake of an accounting scandal that implicated most of HealthSouth's executive leadership, construction of the digital hospital was suspended. Contractor Brasfield & Gorrie elected to complete the exterior cladding in order to avoid leaving the interior exposed to the elements. HealthSouth's new leadership expressed a desire to sell the property soon after taking the reigns of the company in 2004. Real estate consultants expressed serious doubts about the suitability of the building's unusual design for hospital functions. Among the building's weaknesses were the location of the emergency department on the second floor of the building.
Real estate developer Hall Thompson announced in early 2007 that he was interested in purchasing the facility and completing it as a full-service hospital for the rapidly-growing Highway 280 corridor. His group's application for an operating permit would have required cooperation from an established hospital, which was not forthcoming.
The entire campus, with the headquarters, conference center, and unfinished hospital was under contract to be sold to the Dallas-based Trammell Crow Company in June 2007 for $60 million, however, Trammell Crow backed out of the deal weeks later. In March 2008, the complex was sold to the Daniel Corporation for $43.5 million. A hotel and new office building are on the drawing board, and the hospital site is being marketed towards military or private hospital development.
References
- Kent, Dawn (January 23, 2008) "Developer Daniel Corp. strikes deal with HealthSouth to buy U.S. 280 campus in Birmingham, Alabama." Birmingham News.
- Hubbard, Russell & Dawn Kent (June 2, 2007) "Unused hospital, HQ sold." Birmingham News.
- Portland Cement Association (n. d.) "HealthSouth Digital Hospital: Birmingham Alabama". Case Studies: Healthcare.
External links
- HealthSouth digital hospital at CLA Architecture, Inc.
- HealthSouth digital hospital at Kirksey Architecture