VHB Healthcare Overview
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Healthcare Founded in 1979 21 o#ces throughout the east coast 850+ engineers, scientists, and planners on sta! Ranked #80 of Top 500 U.S. Design Firms by Engineering News-Record VHB Healthcare Overview A healthcare institution’s mission is to heal; our mission is to help. VHB o!ers a dedicated team of skilled professionals experienced in the planning, design, and construction of complex healthcare facilities. For over 30 years, we have supported more than 150 healthcare clients— encompassing community and specialized hospitals, healthcare systems, and academic medical centers—in implementing their growth plans. Our engineers, planners, and scientists bring a sophisticated understanding of the unique requirements of a contemporary healthcare environ- ment, in a variety of settings. We thrive within collaborative design teams, with many successful partnerships engaging architecture, construction management, and facility development peer "rms. Whether addressing issues such as aging facilities, consumer/patient preferences, capacity needs, regulatory requirements, “greening” initiatives, or a combination of factors, VHB is at the forefront of collaborating with our healthcare clients as they build for the future. We bring an integrated approach to each client and project with the requisite skills in transportation, civil en- gineering, environmental planning, entitlement strategy/permitting, land survey, and landscape architecture. By incorporating an innovative, sustainable design approach within our practice, we help create healthcare environments that endure. Professional Services VHB o!ers the focus and personal attention of a small consulting "rm backed by the in-house re- sources of an 850-person, multidisciplinary company. Our skilled professionals provide solutions to many of the challenges confronted by community hospitals, such as increased demand and constrained capacity; access, parking and circulation requirements; and the necessity to remain 1 VHB Healthcare Overview fully operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We recognize the importance of the patient- centered model of specialized hospitals, addressing such issues as way"nding systems, long- term parking, and on-site amenities. We develop solutions for systems/functions that sustain complex operations—including employee parking, shuttle systems, and entitlements—so our healthcare system clients can focus on delivering quality care. And, we successfully address the unique requirements of the academic medical center that include ease of orientation, parking/ access, and security while allowing research, teaching, and clinical care functions to coexist. Site/Civil Planning & Design Services VHB’s site/civil practice is focused on the planning and design of public, private, and institu- VHB is an active tional capital projects, and the utility and roadway infrastructure that supports each project. Our member of the civil engineers provide comprehensive site planning and engineering design services to assist American Society for healthcare clients with a diverse mix of projects, from minor site improvements to major capital Healthcare Engineering programs, encompassing a broad range of facility types—from small community hospitals to and the U.S. Green large multi-facility integrated healthcare systems. We have more than 85 LEED-accredited pro- Building Council. We fessionals representing the major physical design disciplines, and we have extensive experience were also the "rst in the areas of low impact design and stormwater management. engineering "rm in the country to join the Our integrated, sustainable design approach is applied to the engineering design of site features Chicago Climate that include roadways, parking areas, walkways, stormwater management facilities, utility corri- Exchange. dors, water features, pump stations, and other supporting site elements. We begin by undertak- ing a thorough site assessment noting existing conditions, opportunities, and site constraints. Our civil design responds to program and budget requirements, while seeking to integrate with existing site conditions in an environmentally responsive manner. Frequently, our engineers take a leading role in securing necessary approvals and permits from regulatory agencies and utility providers, representing our clients and projects in public hearings and meetings. Transportation Services A healthcare setting such as presents a unique set of transportation and mobility issues. Con- temporary solutions within a hospital setting seek to integrate all modes of transportation, requiring a balanced program of policy, operational, and capital investments. VHB’s transporta- tion practice serves healthcare institutions by improving the pedestrian and vehicular systems environment, addressing access needs for a wide range of user groups, including patients, visitors, sta!, and service and emergency personnel. We aid our clients in formulating transpor- tation strategies that support the institution’s sustainability initiatives through development of transportation demand management and trip reduction strategies. VHB’s tra#c engineering and parking professionals address tra#c and parking challenges through the thoughtful design of access, parking, and circulation improvements. VHB recently collaborated with the Our transportation professionals apply state-of-the-art modeling and simulation techniques to U.S. Green Building develop a clear understanding of a project’s transportation impacts and needs. We use these Council on Roadmap to a analyses to identify a range of potential multi-modal solutions to meet those needs, ranging Green Campus, from capacity enhancements to existing roadways and intersections, new transportation cor- accessible online at ridors, transit systems, and pedestrian/bicycle accommodations. We also provide construction www.centerforgreen engineering support services as well as resident engineering and inspection for the construction schools.org/roadmap of infrastructure with a focus on quality, timeliness of execution, and tra#c management during construction. 2 VHB Healthcare Overview Environmental Services As environmental concerns and regulations have evolved, we have developed the skills base to advise our institutional clients on the full range of environmental issues that may in$uence the overall direction and implementation of a capital project. VHB o!ers a depth and breadth of experience in environmental permitting, entitlement strategy, water resource management, hazardous materials management programs, environmental risk management, air quality and noise assessment, wetlands mitigation, cultural resource identi"cation and assessment, socio-economic evaluations, and brown"elds site evaluations and redevelopment plans. Compliance with local, state, and federal regulations is a regular component of many capital projects. VHB professionals o!er compre- hensive regulatory support, guiding our clients through environmen- tal processes in both simple and complex situations. Our strategic VHB provided civil approach is based on a thorough understanding of environmental issues, the governing stat- engineering, utes, and the technical basis upon which the regulations were written. We provide a thorough transportation, and assessment of the permit requirements and environmental considerations for gaining e#cient survey services for the regulatory approval. Once the strategy is developed, regulatory, physical and/or biological issues Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro can be systematically addressed in support of the preferred project alternative. Our track record Cardiovascular Center at Brigham & Women’s of success is the result of e!ective communication and relationships with regulatory agencies, as Hospital in Boston, Mass. well as the ability to convey key regulatory and technical information. This approach has enabled Conforming to the Green VHB to obtain permits and acceptance of mitigation packages for many complex projects. Guide to Health Care, the Center was certi"ed LEED Landscape Architecture Services Silver, making Brigham & Through sustainable design, VHB’s landscape architects enhance the growth and expansion of Women’s the "rst hospitals, medical centers, and clinics, developing context-driven solutions that support these hospital in New England vital institutions in their mission to provide better care. From visioning through construction and the largest and most stages, we help our healthcare clients adjust to changing needs and increasing demands, while advanced patient care maximizing each institution’s unique identity. We also guide our clients’ maintenance phases center to achieve this honor. through the transition to more natural and lower maintenance healing landscape models. VHB’s landscape architects are well versed at understanding a client’s goals and vision for en- hanced site improvements, applying sound design solutions to meet those goals, and imple- menting a project with durable materials and proven construction techniques. Furthermore, we approach our institutional projects as a team member with facility managers and groundskeep- ers who know the capabilities of their sta!, available budget, and equipment needs. By doing so, we are able to complete projects within budget that can be easily maintained to stand the test of time. Sustainability by Design Sustainable design is the paradigm for our practice. For three decades—as environmental regulations have evolved and new sustainability imperatives have emerged—VHB has been a leader and