For some reason other cities have brand new facilities that look as if they cost north of a billion each. I don’t know how they were funded or what. I know this isn’t a fair comparison but Cedars Sinai complex by the Beverly center is fu€king incredible. I hope OKC gets something like that somewhere. Dallas has several, Houston as well, as does St. Louis. I’m not aware of smaller cities having any but I bet they exist.

Actually, OKC does have a modern hospital downtown even with Saint Anthony. I'd also call Mercy Hospital modern.

I think OKC is similar to Seattle in the # and age of hospitals actually. Our level 1 trauma center for WA/OR/AK/ID/MT (Harbourview) is just as old as Oklahoma's level 1 (OU-OKC), where they also built some new buildings. the UW Medical Center is really just an research/teaching extension of Harbourview actually, so basically the same setup as OU just different names. Swedish would be comparable to (but much smaller than) Saint Anthony as the shiny old/but new near downtown big hospital. Virginia Mason = Baptist.

OKC still has several more (SW Medical Center, the giant Mercy Health complex, Deaconess, the suburban hospitals. ...), Tacoma has several hospitals, Everett (North) has 1 and Bellevue\Kirkland (East) has 2.

OKC has 1.5M metro, Seattle/Tacoma is 3.7M and somewhat regionally isolated - I think OKC is doing fine if not ahead with regard to hospitals.

St. Anthony in Midtown doesn't compare to the beautiful hospitals I mentioned. I am surprised to hear about Seattle as I would think they have a major, modern medical center.

The majority of the facilities that you mention are part of complexes. So, like OU, you'll see a mix of old and new. Even some of those old structures just get a facade put on them to make them LOOK new too so dont be fooled by the curtain. Deaconness is an example of the new matching the old design (which is rare) so what do you call it? Cedar's is in included in the old/new model as it has a massive structure roughly the same age as the Presby patient tower at OU as well as newer structures.

In the hospital world, growth happens organically and it's extremely rare to built a whole new campus at one time. You also have to look at which facilities are part of large hospital systems compared to independents (which are rare now). Dallas, Houston, LA, etc they all are similar to OKC.

My work is 100% tied to hospitals, and i can tell you that majority of them out there are not nearly as nice as what we have. Bad stone/stucco (Heart Hospital....yuk)/bad brick are the words of the day. And SOOO many are plain white (double yuk). A lot of them look more like a box hotel than a hospital...and that's not a good thing.

If you want an example of the mixed old/new, look at Baptist/Mercy/Saints/MWC. Look at somewhere like Providence Park in Novi, MI as another example from a different city. Old with new (one of the more interesting new designs i've seen). THAT's the norm, just like what OU is doing now.

The majority of the facilities that you mention are part of complexes. So, like OU, you'll see a mix of old and new. Even some of those old structures just get a facade put on them to make them LOOK new too so dont be fooled by the curtain. Deaconness is an example of the new matching the old design (which is rare) so what do you call it? Cedar's is in included in the old/new model as it has a massive structure roughly the same age as the Presby patient tower at OU as well as newer structures.

In the hospital world, growth happens organically and it's extremely rare to built a whole new campus at one time. You also have to look at which facilities are part of large hospital systems compared to independents (which are rare now). Dallas, Houston, LA, etc they all are similar to OKC.

My work is 100% tied to hospitals, and i can tell you that majority of them out there are not nearly as nice as what we have. Bad stone/stucco (Heart Hospital....yuk)/bad brick are the words of the day. And SOOO many are plain white (double yuk). A lot of them look more like a box hotel than a hospital...and that's not a good thing.

If you want an example of the mixed old/new, look at Baptist/Mercy/Saints/MWC. Look at somewhere like Providence Park in Novi, MI as another example from a different city. Old with new (one of the more interesting new designs i've seen). THAT's the norm, just like what OU is doing now.
Mercy's Edmond campus was designed very well and I like what SSM's healthplexes look like. I wish OU had taken some cues from Mercy's design.

Thanks for the insight Bomber. I have been fortunate enough to only have detailed knowledge of these facilities passing by them though with aging family I have been in them more and more.

Seattle East and North suburbs have new(er) hospitals but they aren't like Cedars Sinai LA, nothing here is.

The majority of the facilities that you mention are part of complexes. So, like OU, you'll see a mix of old and new. Even some of those old structures just get a facade put on them to make them LOOK new too so dont be fooled by the curtain. Deaconness is an example of the new matching the old design (which is rare) so what do you call it? Cedar's is in included in the old/new model as it has a massive structure roughly the same age as the Presby patient tower at OU as well as newer structures.

In the hospital world, growth happens organically and it's extremely rare to built a whole new campus at one time. You also have to look at which facilities are part of large hospital systems compared to independents (which are rare now). Dallas, Houston, LA, etc they all are similar to OKC.

My work is 100% tied to hospitals, and i can tell you that majority of them out there are not nearly as nice as what we have. Bad stone/stucco (Heart Hospital....yuk)/bad brick are the words of the day. And SOOO many are plain white (double yuk). A lot of them look more like a box hotel than a hospital...and that's not a good thing.

If you want an example of the mixed old/new, look at Baptist/Mercy/Saints/MWC. Look at somewhere like Providence Park in Novi, MI as another example from a different city. Old with new (one of the more interesting new designs i've seen). THAT's the norm, just like what OU is doing now.

All great points that I also have known about OKC's Health/medical community - thanks Bomber.

Their financial position will be rough for awhile, plus they have some other more pressing needs as I understand things.

This. Extricating the OU Medicine hospitals from HCA’s network, information systems and shared services will require several years and many millions, in addition to finishing and equipping the new bed tower and day to day operations.

It is now topped out:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/ouhsc102719a.jpg

Cool Shot!

When the renderings start to come to life

Inside the existing OU Medicine building on the first floor entry there are at least a dozen large renderings from every possible angle. Incredible design.

https://i.imgur.com/4fuRpTp.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/xBXVcuX.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5TtIdPC.jpg

This tower crane will be gone tomorrow (weather permitting)

Oklahoma now has two cities (Oklahoma City & Tulsa) with level 1 trauma centers; St. Francis in Tulsa possesses a level one trauma center:

https://pagethink.com/media/uploads/project-gallery-images/lg_landscape_gallery.jpg

St. Francis Hospital System Complex, Tulsa

When did St. Francis become Level I?

When did St. Francis become Level I?

the day i was born there.

the day i was born there.

Bravo.

the day i was born there.

Seriously, touche.

Did the nurses all gather around?

Did the nurses all gather around?

I really didn't need to have Bad to the Bone stuck in my head tonight. Gee thanks, Catch! :D

Current plans are to have the new bed tower open in October of this year.

Did the nurses all gather around?

I didn’t retain memories until 3.5, but maybe.

Are we talking about the same TEC at Saint Francis? The one I know of is definitely level II trauma center.

According to one of their directors, OUMC is Oklahoma’s only Level I trauma center. @laramie, can you cite a source for your post?

Not sure when they acquired the level one designation/certification; it has see sawed back & forth... Recall an incident on the news recently (2020) where a patient was taken to St. Francis because of their level one status.

IMG]https://www.saintfrancis.com/assets/images/logos/sf-logo.png[/IMG] https://www.saintfrancis.com/location/saint-francis-hospital?utm_source=local-listing&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=website-link

St. Francis and OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City are the only trauma centers in the state to be at level one. St. John, which was working toward its ACS certification, was given a temporary level two status.--https://oklahoman.com/article/1928673/two-tulsa-hospitals-facing-trauma-center-downgrades

@laramie, the first link is of a general nature, and the 30-second video is an overview of St. Francis’ trauma services - it says nothing about it being a Level I trauma center.

The second link is to a 2003 story in the Oklahoman.

I’m confident that OU Medical Center is Oklahoma’s only Level I trauma center. It would be great to have more, but for now they’re it.

https://www.oumedicine.com/oumedicine/ou-medical-center/hospital-Information/trauma-one-center

When did St. Francis become Level I?

St. Francis is a Level 2 trauma center.
OUMC is Level 1.
OUMC would be thrilled to see another Level 1 in the state, but they are it.

@laramie, the first link is of a general nature, and the 30-second video is an overview of St. Francis’ trauma services - it says nothing about it being a Level I trauma center.

The second link is to a 2003 story in the Oklahoman.

I’m confident that OU Medical Center is Oklahoma’s only Level I trauma center. It would be great to have more, but for now they’re it.

https://www.oumedicine.com/oumedicine/ou-medical-center/hospital-Information/trauma-one-center

Correct!
Here is who certifies...
http://www.facs.org/trauma/verified.html

Correct!
Here is who certifies...
http://www.facs.org/trauma/verified.html

I should have clarified that you can search certified/verified trauma centers and their levels at that link. It shows for OK:
OU Medicine (Level 1) and St. John in Tulsa (Level 2).

Contacted St. Francis (918) 494-2200; they are currently a Level 2 hospital. OU Medical Center is the only Level 1 hospital in the state of Oklahoma.

Stay safe and wish everyone the best..

Just in case there are questions about the discrepancy between Laramie’s phone call and the Surgeons Commission on Trauma database. This explains it:

“In the United States, trauma centers are ranked by the American College of Surgeons (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_College_of_Surgeons)(ACS), from Level I (comprehensive service) to Level III (limited-care). The different levels refer to the types of resources available in a trauma center and the number of patients admitted yearly. These are categories that define national standards for trauma care in hospitals. Level I and Level II designations are also given adult and or pediatric (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pediatric)designations.[12] (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trauma_center#cite_note-facs2-12)Additionally, some states have their own trauma-center rankings separate from the ACS. These levels may range from Level I to Level IV. Some hospitals are less-formally designated Level V.”

Good info, Blue Sky...

Wonder if having a Level I trauma center located in our city is a selling point that should be used in soliciting new business or attracting firms new to the state...

Good info, Blue Sky...

Wonder if having a Level I trauma center located in our city is a selling point that should be used in soliciting new business or attracting firms new to the state...

https://www.ok.gov/health/Protective_Health/Emergency_Systems/Trauma_Division/Trauma_Care_Assistance_Revolving_Fund/index.html

It's already used that way, since they started working on it back in 2000, if memory serves. It's not a cherry on the top draw; it's a baseline level of service that a state needs and back then Oklahoma was losing doctors, researchers, etc. Having Level 1 brought us in line with other states.
It also runs in the red, which is why the state legislature had to create a fund for it. It's also why OUMC would be thrilled to see another Level 1, so someone else could share the burden of all the uninsured cases.

And back on topic, the new tower looks amazing from outside! Great addition to campus.

Impressive video



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1miNKxrH1A

Construction crane being disassembled:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/ouhsc031520a.jpg

Man if that had about 20 more stories on top of it that thing would be dope.

Man if that had about 20 more stories on top of it that thing would be dope.

Meh, would not be a good use of space. Not sure why a 30 story hospital would be a good thing. Granted I feel you are being sarcastic.

Meh, would not be a good use of space. Not sure why a 30 story hospital would be a good thing. Granted I feel you are being sarcastic.
I am saying that this building would look great as a tall building. Not all buildings you can say that about as some are good as a 5-10 story building.

I’m not sure why a tall hospital would be a bad thing but there are certainly medical campuses around the country that have tall buildings either having hospital beds or offices. A taller building utilizes the third dimension more so I fail to see the waste of space and in fact I see quite the contrary.

It was supposed to be 3 stories taller, but budget overruns resulted in the top 3 floors getting lopped off.

You can see the triage area adjacent to the emergency entrance and on the west side of this project:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/ouhsc040420a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/ouhsc040420b.jpg

A beautiful addition to this area. I hope consideration will be given to painting the old Presbyterian building a lighter color to better blend with the new construction.

Hospitals never seem interested in making the old and new match. in fact, it seems like they purposely try to make a point of them not matching. lol. I'm sure it's partly the idea of not wanting to look like they're stuck in whatever decade the original was built. I just wish they would spend effort on some facade work to update the old stuff too. Only thing is, that's just fluff money and doesn't help the patients any or make them any money.

I mean look at Baptist. That's the ugliest conglomeration mess of all of them in OKC. I think Deaconness has probably done the best to keep a look that isn't dated but still matches.

Hospitals never seem interested in making the old and new match. in fact, it seems like they purposely try to make a point of them not matching. lol. I'm sure it's partly the idea of not wanting to look like they're stuck in whatever decade the original was built. I just wish they would spend effort on some facade work to update the old stuff too. Only thing is, that's just fluff money and doesn't help the patients any or make them any money.

I mean look at Baptist. That's the ugliest conglomeration mess of all of them in OKC. I think Deaconness has probably done the best to keep a look that isn't dated but still matches.

Believe it or not, sometimes there is a method to the madness. If an old building on a campus is clinical, it may keep the old exterior to help orient older patients. I agree it is aesthetically unpleasant but it's often the only way people can still find their doctor's office when a new skyscraper is placed in front of it.

I like seeing the mash up, it helps see how the campus progressed and built up over time. I say only spend money on needed repairs and updates to keep the building in safe/ efficient running order. I like seeing different eras of building styles close together.

Speaking of mashups, here is a photo I took last week of the Baptist complex:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/baptist040820a.jpg

Are there any other projects planned for the HSC? It is an area of massive potential, and a major engine for the city and the state.

I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but If they would have added 4-5 more floors, this building would have stood out like no other in the HSC. Every morning driving to work when the sun rise is shining on this building I think to myself if they had only added a few more floors how great it would stand out. I still think this is an awesome addition to the area.

I know this building looks so weird like it was designed to be taller but last minute had floors shaved for whatever reason.

I know this building looks so weird like it was designed to be taller but last minute had floors shaved for whatever reason.
I believe whatever reason was money.

I believe whatever reason was money.

I’m sure it was. I’m not saying buildings that aren’t tall can’t look good. As many here know I prefer taller buildings but there are shorter buildings I like. This one just looks weird being so short.

I’m sure it was. I’m not saying buildings that aren’t tall can’t look good. As many here know I prefer taller buildings but there are shorter buildings I like. This one just looks weird being so short.
I agree with you on this one. It would look much better if it was taller - as it stands now, IMO, the base kind of overwhelms the attractive glass "tower" portion (if that makes sense).

Speaking of mashups, here is a photo I took last week of the Baptist complex:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/baptist040820a.jpg

I always said this place could use some more height. It would be a pretty good secondary core to help bring in business revenue to the city. Plus I'm sure there would be some larger developers/corporations looking to build on the cheap. A few midrises and around three towers with twenty stories would actually be pretty nice in this spot.

I always said this place could use some more height. It would be a pretty good secondary core to help bring in business revenue to the city. Plus I'm sure there would be some larger developers/corporations looking to build on the cheap. A few midrises and around three towers with twenty stories would actually be pretty nice in this spot.

The views from the taller buildings here are actually pretty great. However, people don't seem to want to pay high-rise prices for them and land is too plentiful to be expensive and force vertical growth economics. All in all, it has a decent amount of taller buildings and a lot of commerce running up and down May and on the expressway.

I agree with you on this one. It would look much better if it was taller - as it stands now, IMO, the base kind of overwhelms the attractive glass "tower" portion (if that makes sense).That is a great way of putting it. More in line with my criticisms.

Just noticed on the video on the last page renderings of what it was supposed to look like with the 3 extra floors:

15970

15971

15972


And one last real aerial shot where all the new buildings are visible except the OMRF tower (Children's, Stephenson Cancer, med school tower, Dean McGee):
https://i.imgur.com/7Hkh6sm.png

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/healthsciences080220a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/healthsciences080220b.jpg