Reading Hospital has undergone significant changes in its 46-acre campus located in West Reading, Pa. Site expansion has been achieved through additions, new entries, infills and overbuilds.
This led to the growth of surgical services in five different buildings, a situation that was not conducive to providing optimal patient care.
The hospital engaged Ballinger in Philadelphia to conceptualize options for consolidating the campus’s surgical services. Construction began in August 2013 on the Reading HealthPlex Advanced Surgical & Patient Care. The 476,000-square foot surgical and inpatient building opened in March 2017.
The hospital administration used the last piece of land available on campus to build the eight-story building. This area is notable for its steep 30-foot slope. The dramatic grade change allowed for a large portion of the 115,000 square feet of requirements of the surgical program to be located below grade.
It met the clinical requirement to consolidate surgical services including 24 operating room on one level for a more efficient flow of patients and staff. This also provided the opportunity to create a dedicated entryway for the new surgery centre. The surgical platform was topped with a five-story tower with 150 private patient beds. It had a smaller footprint.
