The new Mercy Hospital Joplin in Missouri was designed to withstand winds of up to 250 mph.
The $465 million structure replaces St. John's Regional Medical Center that was destroyed in a 2011 tornado that devastated the city. The new 900,000 sf facility is scheduled to open 46 months after the storm struck.
The new hospital features a window and frame system that can protect patients from winds of up to 250 mph. The structure was built with a concrete roof and a precast concrete outer shell.
Engineers and architects with McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. and HKS Architects studied the storm’s aftermath and applied lessons drawn from that analysis in the new building.
Other buildings own by Mercy have also been shored up to withstand high winds. Strengthened windows have been added to other Mercy buildings including an orthopedic hospital in Springfield, Missouri, and a rehabilitation hospital in Oklahoma City.
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Aug 23, 2017
Demographics and consolidation drive demand for medical office buildings
In its first-ever report on this sector, CBRE provides detailed analyses of 30 markets.
Giants 400 | Aug 18, 2017
Life after Obamacare
Hospital systems are finding ways to get facilities built with a lot less money.
Healthcare Facilities | Aug 11, 2017
Healthcare's digital evolution
Healthcare exemplifies how technology innovations like digital connectivity and artificial intelligence are playing out in ordinary life.
Healthcare Facilities | Aug 9, 2017
3 things to know about the state of the healthcare industry
CRTKL’s Ray Brower talks design and technology trends and recaps his recent BisNow panel.
Healthcare Facilities | Aug 8, 2017
Kansas’ only medical school receives new 171,000-sf building
The building was designed to enhance the medical campus’ existing facilities, curriculum, and classrooms.
Healthcare Facilities | Aug 2, 2017
8 healthcare design lessons from shadowing a nurse
From the surprising number of “hunting and gathering” trips to the need for quiet spaces for phone calls, interior designer Carolyn Fleetwood Blake shares her takeaways from a day shadowing a nurse.
Healthcare Facilities | Aug 2, 2017
The Patient-Centered Care Learning Center will help address the shortage of doctors in Missouri and the U.S.
The new BNIM-designed facility brings almost 100,000 sf of space for patient-centered care and classrooms.
Healthcare Facilities | Aug 1, 2017
An animal care facility expands with a human touch
New equipment and surgery suites exceed what’s found in most vet clinics.
Senior Living Design | Jul 31, 2017
How technology will change senior care
When a family member can no longer be cared for in their current home, they require specialized care that is only available in a long-term care center.
Healthcare Facilities | Jul 25, 2017
Healthcare technology: Preparing for the world of tomorrow
This article outlines the current data center landscape in the healthcare sector, industry trends, and challenges and opportunities new technologies present to the healthcare space.