IMEG provided medical equipment planning for Eastern Maine Medical Center’s 361,000-square-foot modernization project in Bangor. The new eight-story tower houses a main lobby, sterile processing department, heart center, surgical suite, NICU, private patient rooms, and a renovated labor and delivery unit. Medical equipment planners worked with the owner to validate equipment on an express schedule, produced a next-level Revit model for the architect to improve coordination and reduce change orders, provided procurement assistance services, and were on site during construction to resolve issues and prevent delays. A cloud-based database, provided and maintained by IMEG, was accessible by all design and construction team members to provide continuously updated information for easy coordination and issue resolution. IMEG also managed the receiving, storage, and installation process based on the phased-occupancy of the building to help maintain the targeted opening date in the remote, rural location.

The equipment design included an efficient workflow for the project’s 12 state-of-the-art operating rooms and two hybrid operating rooms, all of which have laminar airflow. The hybrid operating rooms consist of a robotic arm imaging system with ceiling-mounted booms and lights and high-resolution large screen displays to make diagnostic decisions for patients. Low-dose cardiology/interventional equipment improves patient outcomes and zero-gravity equipment prevents exposure to clinicians. Private patient rooms were designed to create an environment for personalized care to aid in quicker recovery. A distributed antenna system (DAS) on primary floors allows clinicians to monitor patients’ vitals during transport within the building. The DAS system also gives the hospital the ability to add cell phone coverage, nurse-call, and Wi-Fi services in the future.

The medical center is part of The Center for Health Design’s Pebble Project, which teaches and assists healthcare providers to use an evidence-based design process focusing on quality of care and patient, staff, and environmental safety.