Location: Baltimore, MD
Date: 2018
Background: Largest Healthcare Provider in Maryland and Washington, D.C.
MedStar is the largest healthcare provider in the Maryland and Washington, D.C., region. With headquarters in Columbia, MD, this non-profit, community-based health system operates more than 120 entities, including 10 hospitals in the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area.
CMSI has successfully completed multiple projects in MedStar buildings, including surgery centers in Timonium and Brandywine, and radiation oncology renovations at Good Samaritan. Based on their experiences with CMSI, MedStar trusts our expertise to plan and execute challenging turnkey projects in occupied clinical environments, especially when budget and timeline are critical.
Objectives: Linear Accelerator and CT Simulator Replacement
MedStar sought to provide their oncology patients at Good Samaritan Hospital with state-of-the-art equipment. They planned to replace their existing CT simulator with a new Siemens system and their existing linear accelerator with a Halcyon, which is Varian’s newest cancer treatment device. Relying on our track record of delivering on time and on budget, MedStar contracted us to renovate their cancer center and accommodate the new radiotherapy and imaging technology.
Approach: Worked through the Nights
We worked efficiently to meet MedStar’s tight deadlines, and we advised them how to execute the project within their budget constraints. This invasive project required drilling extensively through 3-feet-thick concrete vault walls to install the updated plumbing and electrical infrastructure.
Since patients with compromised immune systems had to walk through our jobsite during the day, we worked at night to minimize disruptions. We implemented special infection control measures to prevent contaminants from entering the clinical environment. For example, every night we installed and dismantled temporary ceilings, floors, and vapor barriers.
Results: First Hospital in Maryland to Offer Halcyon
We helped MedStar successfully replace both their CT simulator and linear accelerator, while keeping within their schedule and budget, and without disrupting their workflow. Good Samaritan Hospital is one of the first healthcare facilities on the East Coast to install a Halcyon, and the first in Maryland. With this state-of-the-art equipment, MedStar now provides radiation oncology patients with faster, more precise treatment. Patients also feel happier and more comfortable in the renovated reception area, which we updated with more space, new floors, and freshly painted walls to cover the original hot pink.
Testimonial
“CMSI allowed us to keep treating our patients without disruption while they did construction. They kept our work area clean. They accommodated our schedule and waited until we were done seeing patients each day before they got started.
Now that we have the Halcyon, we can treat patients at a faster speed and with higher accuracy. They spend less time on the machine, and they have fewer side effects. We’re excited to be one of the first centers in Maryland to get training for the Halcyon.”
Radiation Therapist
MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
