St. Rita’s GME Center

About

Through a collaborative effort between Mercy Health, Tuttle, and Design Collaborative, the project team was able to adjust the project’s scope through value engineering and some delivery methods to hit the budget established by Mercy Health. Every aspect of the original project design was reviewed in painstaking detail, from square footage, to finishes, to building controls, and so forth. And this work resulted in a finished product that is a state-of-the-art medical education facility without compromising the intent of the initial project design. Through brainstorming and creative thinking, the Tuttle team implemented several of the value engineering items to assist in reducing overall project costs while improving the facility’s flow. For example, we suggested the elimination of a hallway upstairs and this resulted in better flow for the students and staff. Also, the Tuttle team suggested the elimination of a switchback ramp at the entrance and replace it with a gently sloped ramp that would connect the major thoroughfare of Market Street to the facility. The architect and owner agreed this would produce a more efficient design. Small details like this produced many “win-win” solutions for this project.

Although the St. Rita’s Graduate Medical Education Center (GME Center) is, and will be, an excellent location for future doctors, it was a tight squeeze for construction equipment and workers. This site is on the very busy corner of Market and Collett. The City of Lima worked with the Tuttle team to keep automotive and pedestrian traffic flowing as construction progressed. This partnership with the city allowed the beautification of that intersection to occur and, in the process, create a great first impression of Lima. The new GME Center will also be a valuable addition to the community as it will be open for training functions to medical staff, emergency responders, and occasionally to the general public, depending on the event.

The GME Center is vital to the local economy and the Mercy Health Organization. During the groundbreaking ceremony, Ronda Lehman, President of St. Rita’s Mercy Health in Lima, spoke about the importance of the medical building. “The Graduate Medical Education Building that we are kicking off today with our groundbreaking is going to be a wonderful training site, not only for medical residents but also for other people of the community, so that we can begin programs and have already begun programs to train future physicians.”

Project Owner

St. Rita’s Mercy Health

730 W Market St, Lima, OH 45801

419-222-3361