DiGiorgio Associates Inc. (DAI) is currently working with Winchester Hospital on two laboratory projects. One is located at the hospital's main campus, and the second in West Cummings Park in Woburn, Mass. These laboratory renovations are necessary to keep in step with Winchester Hospital's commitment to improve patient care in the community. Construction for both projects is expected to be completed in the fall.
The first project, the off-site Winchester Hospital Core Laboratory, consists of upgrades to improve quality, safety, workflow and testing capacity to best serve the current and future demand for laboratory testing. Project elements for this 13,000 s/f lab include an entire renovation with new lab benches and work counters and the relocation of current equipment to improve staff work flow and efficiency. This project is uniquely intricate because all staff and laboratory functions must remain operational throughout the entire construction process. As a result, this project is being completed in multiple phases. Lab functions for this satellite include cytology, chemistry, microbiology, molecular diagnostics, and hematology.
The second laboratory project, the Winchester Hospital Rapid Response Laboratory, located at the hospital's main campus, consists of expanding testing activity into the immediately adjacent 5,380 s/f suite and renovating the space to provide a continuous testing space. In addition, implementation of full lab automation in chemistry and the application of Lean workflow processes for all testing departments are being implemented. The renovation will enhance work-flow for current testing and improve safety for employees, as well as provide sufficient capacity for continued test volume growth in the future with the implementation of the automation system. Similar to the Core Laboratory, the Rapid Response Laboratory also requires careful phasing to ensure that staff is able to perform work functions while construction is underway.