St. Mary’s Medical Center | SCL Health

To maintain its status as the leading medical center in Grand Valley, St. Mary’s Medical Center expanded and modernized its clinical laboratory. Additionally, the lab required improvements to supply chain due to its unique location on Colorado’s Western Slope.

The previous 17,410-sf laboratory was not designed to adequately service the Sisters of Charity Health System future growth and service lines and building constraints do not allow for the desired automated equipment. The new laboratory addition includes receiving/processing, core lab, micro/molecular, transfusion medicine and anatomic pathology and allows for ideal adjacencies to the emergency department, radiology, surgery and 340-bed inpatient tower.

Future volume, occupancy and service goals were analyzed to develop a new clinical lab program; HERA developed ideal flow diagrams to provide the required lean movement of specimens, supplies, materials and waste. The new open concept layout reduces steps and eliminates touches and circuitous routes; and creates a healthier working environment through ergonomics and daylighting within the lab.

The new lab and automated equipment increase accuracy and accommodate an estimated 15 percent growth over 10 years. The addition also accommodates the increased storage needed when the Western slope closes in the winter months.