Newport Celebrates Completion of Hospital Expansion Project January 26, 2021 After several years of planning, research, designing and construction, the redevelopment of Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport, Oregon, is complete. The final phases of this project were successfully completed this past winter during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with local, state and federal safety precautions in place. The hospital remained open throughout the entire process of construction and remodeling, so many community members have already had the opportunity to experience the new building. Because of the continued pandemic, the community celebration for this new facility and health care resource will be virtual. Visit samhealth.org/NewHospitalNewport to view video tours of the new hospital and a virtual appreciation to the community. The Neenan Company, based in Fort Collins, Colorado, delivered the largest health care project, by budget, in the company’s more than 50-year history after completing construction this past winter. The Neenan Company served as the lead architect and general contractor to remodel 40,000 square feet of the existing facility and construct an 86,000-square-foot, three-story addition. Significant Changes Improve Patient Experience The project included significant facility upgrades and expansion of the hospital’s health care services. The hospital was established in 1952 and last updated in 1988, so this three-year project has made a dramatic impact on the quality and accessibility of 21st century health care for coastal Oregonians. The end result of this project is an integrated medical campus that brings together specialty departments, ancillary services and outpatient clinics. With 22 departments and new services – like imaging, therapy, surgical and emergency care – the medical facility is designed to provide high-quality care for decades to come. “We cannot adequately express the pride and appreciation we have for our community members for funding this project and for their interest in improving the health care experience in Newport and surrounding communities,” said Lesley Ogden, MD, chief executive officer of Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital. “We’ve spent the better part of six years planning for this project, so it is with great excitement and joy that we celebrate the completion of this world-class facility and what it means for the future of health care in Newport.” The new Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital provides tools and resources to improve the delivery of health care to the central Oregon coast region. Among the hospital’s new features are larger patient rooms with scenic ocean and bay views, efficient and maximized workspace for care providers, upgraded equipment, state-of-the-art procedure rooms, and a sweeping, windowed galleria joining to the original hospital structure. This project was made possible thanks to the support of Pacific Communities Health District voters, who approved a $57 million bond measure in 2015 to build a new three-story facility and to renovate the current two-story brick structure. Samaritan Health Services committed an additional $10 million in new medical equipment and furnishings, and the community contributed an additional $1 million for equipment and art through donations to the Pacific Communities Health District Foundation. The project was also awarded a $1.5 million seismic rehabilitation grant from Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency. Building a Healthier Community Together “Samaritan had contributed over $2 million on in-kind services during the project, with countless hours of staff time devoted to planning and assistance, especially during the final phase of the new build,” said Ralph Breitenstein, MD, chair of the Pacific Communities Health District Board of Directors. “There were over 50 employees from other Samaritan facilities here in Newport for the big move (from old building to new). In fact, Information Technology staff from Corvallis were here for several weeks to make sure everything in the new hospital worked properly. Without our partnership with Samaritan the district would not have had the resources to pull this off and we would have a much smaller and less capable hospital serving the Newport area than we now have.” After more than two years of planning and research in collaboration with Samaritan Health Services and Pacific Communities Health District, The Neenan Company broke ground on the project in May 2017, implementing its collaborative, multi-disciplinary process known as archistruction to centralize the work of engineers, architects, designers, project managers, contractors, subcontractors and tradespeople. Partnering with local construction firm Gerding Builders and more than 50 other subcontractors and vendors, this approach proved essential for the hospital redevelopment project to streamline complexities, create efficiencies and smooth points of project transition to ensure hospital operations could continue without interruption or risk to patient safety throughout the project’s three-year construction lifecycle. “It’s extremely gratifying to see this project come to life, and to see the many improvements we were able to make, which will enable Samaritan Health Services to deliver a high standard of care,” said David Shigekane, president of The Neenan Company. “We’ve been working with Samaritan and the Health District hand-in-hand for the entire length of this project. We are proud of the partnership and the resulting world-class facility, which we have no doubt will enhance the Newport community and benefit Oregonians for generations to come.” About Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital Established in 1952, Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital, located in Newport, Oregon, is a community-based, 25-bed critical access hospital, which serves residents and visitors of Depoe Bay, Newport, Toledo, Waldport and Yachats. Offering a wide range of inpatient, outpatient and clinic services, the hospital is part of Samaritan Health Services, a not-for-profit network of hospitals, clinics and medical services caring for more than 250,000 residents in the mid-Willamette Valley and central Oregon Coast. About The Neenan Company The Neenan Company strengthens and builds communities across the country with an integrated and entrepreneurial approach to design, construction and development projects. The Colorado-based firm, founded in 1966, is a pioneer of the design-build model specializing in creating commercial, education, healthcare and government facilities that generate economic vitality and inspire people to be well, to learn and to lead. More information is available at www.neenan.com. About Gerding Builders Headquartered in Corvallis, Oregon, Gerding Builders is an employee-owned company, maintaining a 54-year history of benefiting communities by building top-quality medical facilities, schools, affordable housing and commercial projects throughout the Coastal Region and the Mid-Willamette Valley. Gerding Builders has teamed with Samaritan Health Services on a variety of projects locally, having constructed the Samaritan Waldport Clinic and Samaritan Pacific Communities MRI and the remodel of the dialysis center and the SamFit gym and fitness center in Newport. Gerding Builders strives to bring value to the Newport community.
