LeChase Construction Services has begun renovating the Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) in Valhalla, N.Y. The Regional NICU at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital is designated as a Level IV unit capable of caring for the tiniest and sickest newborns. The project will add four bays while adding cosmetic upgrades to the unit.
To increase the number of bays from 16 to 20, crews will reconfigure 5,400-square-feet on the second floor of the center’s Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. The cosmetic upgrades will include new counters, windows and flooring – including luxury vinyl in the neonatal rooms and new carpeting in the hallways.
Construction is taking place in two phases to ensure that Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital’s neonatal specialists can continue to provide care throughout the duration of the construction. The first phase began in February and is expected to be completed by August. Work can then begin on the second phase, which is expected to take about four months.
Crews will construct barriers designed to look like permanent walls to isolate the workspace, while HEPA (high-efficiency particulate absorbing) filters and vacuums create a negative pressure to draw air in rather than allowing dust to escape.
“This is precisely the type of project that requires ICRA measures. Extreme care is needed for renovations in any health care setting, but it is especially critical when working near infants receiving intensive, life-saving treatments,” said David Campbell, LeChase Vice President. “As a leader in health care facility renovations, we will work to ensure that hospital activities continue undisturbed while we upgrade the unit to deliver state-of-the-art care.”
