UC Health Names Design, Construction Team for $221M Project

CINCINNATI, Ohio, Feb. 28 -- U.C. Health, a network of hospitals operated by the University of Cincinnati, issued the following news release:

The largest capital project in the history of UC Health will be led by a team of experienced healthcare design, engineering and construction firms.

The project, announced in October, represents a significant investment in the health system's patients, people and in the community. It is aimed at not only expanding and modernizing the health system's physical presence, but also creating healing environments where patients come to receive care for anything from the most basic health needs to the most complex disease treatments.

UC Health has selected the global firm CannonDesign to oversee project design, and Cincinnati-based Messer Construction Co. has been selected to manage construction. Ohio-based HPlex Solutions will serve as the owner's representative to manage the project.

"We are excited to welcome this experienced team to UC Health to help propel our organization into a new era," said Bob Feldbauer, vice president of facilities for UC Health. "This project will transform our not only our Clifton Campus, but our entire organization. We are proud to make this investment in our patients, our people and the community."

The project includes the demolition of several structures, the expansion and renovation of the emergency department at UC Health's University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Greater Cincinnati's adult Level I trauma center, and the construction of a new surgical pavilion to modernize and grow operating room capacity, as well as two new parking structures.

"This project represents a milestone for UC Health, and it will significantly advance our ability to care for the most complex and critically ill patients across our community," said Arthur Pancioli, MD, Professor and Richard C. Levy Chair of Emergency Medicine at the UC College of Medicine and a UC Health physician.

Demolition is expected to begin in May, and construction of the new facilities is expected to begin this fall. Patient care will not be interrupted during the project.

Each of the firms selected to lead the project has prior experience at UC Health: HPlex and Messer worked on the $68 million UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute, which opened in 2018. Messer also led construction of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center/UC Health Proton Therapy Center in 2016. And last year, CannonDesign helped develop the UC Health Campus Master Facilities Plan.

CannonDesign's team for the FORWARD project includes several experienced engineering and planning firms: Heapy Engineering, THP and The Kleingers Group. The team also includes Blue Cottage, a medical planning subsidiary firm of CannonDesign. Messer's team includes TriVersity Construction Group.

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About UC Health

UC Health is an integrated academic health system serving the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region. In partnership with the University of Cincinnati, UC Health combines clinical expertise and compassion with research and teaching - a combination that provides patients with options for even the most complex situations. Members of UC Health include: University of Cincinnati Medical Center, West Chester Hospital, Daniel Drake Center for Post-Acute Care, Bridgeway Pointe Assisted Living, University of Cincinnati Physicians and UC Health Ambulatory Services (with more than 800 board-certified clinicians and surgeons), Lindner Center of HOPE and several specialized institutes and centers, including: UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute; UC Cancer Center; and UC Heart, Lung & Vascular Institute. Many UC Health locations have received national recognition for outstanding quality and patient satisfaction. Learn more at UCHealth.com.