Ground has been broken for a new seven-storey bed tower at AdventHealth Parker Hospital in Colorado, US.

The ceremony saw the participation of hospital officials, design partners for the project, Boulder Associates and SmithGroup, and DPR Construction, which has been appointed as the general contractor.

The project involves a close collaboration between the design partners and the general contractor in the planning, design, project management, and execution of the healthcare facility's expansion.

AdventHealth Parker Hospital is a 170-bed, Level II trauma centre. The hospital offers a range of clinical services.

It provides patients with access to more than 55 medical specialities, including certified stroke, spine, and joint replacement programmes, as well as advanced robotic surgery, neuroscience, birth, and bariatric surgery, among others.

The 186,000ft² bed tower addition, located at E-470 and Parker Road, will integrate with the existing campus to address the immediate need for enhanced healthcare services in the growing community of Parker.

Upon completion, AdventHealth Parker will have a total of 329 beds. The design of the tower will provide a seamless expansion of the emergency department and operating platform to the south, with the bed floors extending above.

The first phase of the expansion includes an expanded loading dock, an emergency department, a new 'Cath and IR' suite, and a sterile processing department with six new operating rooms.

To meet the project's accelerated schedule, the design teams have adopted lean practices to enhance efficiency and streamline the decision-making process. VR technology has been utilised to help user groups visualise and comprehend the project's end result.

Collaborating on this project are MGA as the structural engineer, Cator Ruma as the mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineer, and SA Miro as the civil engineer. Adams Management, a consulting and programme management company, oversees the project as the owner's representative.

DPR Construction Mountain States Business Unit leader Scott Miller said: "AdventHealth Parker has assembled a great team to manage, design, and deliver this project. Our team has completed multiple renovations and expansions on this campus since the original build.

"AdventHealth Parker has always been a great place of care, and we take that pride of care into what we build."