IMEG is providing engineering design and services for a new, $395 million surgical and clinical care tower at VA Connecticut Healthcare System’s West Haven VA Medical Center. Led by the joint venture team of LEO A DALY and Perkins&Will, the project will modernize existing hospital infrastructure and deliver state-of-the art surgical services and support facilities. 

“As one of the nation’s leading healthcare engineers, IMEG is honored to support the VA and the LEO A DALY and Perkins&Will team as the primary infrastructure engineer on this important project,” said Armand Harpin, IMEG Director of Federal Healthcare. “We are excited with the opportunity to serve our veterans by providing the expanded care that is so desperately needed, in a facility that will ultimately improve patient outcomes.” 

Services being provided by IMEG for the project are structural, MEP, technology, acoustics, and traffic engineering design, along with energy modeling and medical equipment planning.

The VA’s Strategic Capital Investment Planning process prioritized the project in 2018, recognizing the need for modernization of the medical center’s facilities, many of which are more than 50 years old. The current surgery platform needs to grow to meet the increased patient population and advances in medical care and technology. Existing operating rooms are undersized for modern equipment requirements and do not have the infrastructure to accommodate newer smart technologies.  

The multi-phase design and construction project will provide a new surgical platform, surgical ICU, and new laboratory space. Operating rooms will be equipped with high-tech, integrated equipment enabling hybrid, cardiothoracic, orthopedic, urology/cystoscopy, and robotic procedures. These changes will expand the number and complexity of annual procedures, leading to increased Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation Funding for the VA Connecticut Health System. Relocating surgery to the new addition will contribute to improved recruitment and retention of staff, provide a better patient experience, and optimize workflow for patients and staff. 

“The JV team is proud to support the critical mission of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in providing healthcare to the nation’s millions of veterans,” said LEO A DALY Managing Principal Bill Kline, FAIA. “Our work at the VA West Haven Medical Center will help the VA meet evolving demands for services, improve aging infrastructure, and keep pace with the rapidly changing technology and models of care,”   

“This project is not just about designing a facility,” added Tatiana Escobar, AIA, Health Practice Leader at Perkins&Will. “It is an opportunity to connect the campus and transform the patient and staff experience, which ultimately is about delivering improved care.”