CHRISTUS

WHAT:

Architectural services for a Catholic hospital

WHERE:

Port Arthur, Texas

WHY:

To create a healthcare facility that extends the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.

THE DETAILS

CHRISTUS Health is a Catholic, non-profit healthcare system with over 600 centers, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and outpatient clinics. The top Catholic hospital in Texas, CHRISTUS, came to George Armour Ewart, Architect with the goal of renovating an existing building for use in the Jefferson County area. Between our firm’s experience converting similar locations into healthcare facilities and our shared belief in the word of Jesus Christ, CHRISTUS knew we were the architects for the job.

Prior to this renovation, CHRISTUS was in need of a place for mid-county citizens to go to for quality healthcare solutions. That’s where our team’s unique expertise came in.

OUR APPROACH

Once an old grocery store, the existing structure was chosen for their new specialty hospital based on several factors, including its prime central location, which lies between two other CHRISTUS Health facilities (St. Elizabeth and St. Mary’s). In partnership with CHRISTUS, Daniels Building & Construction, CBRE Group, and our in-house team of consultants, we began construction on the new facility with specific goals in mind.

First, we needed to meet the space requirements for each area in the building. In order to achieve this goal, we worked with the CHRISTUS IT department on reducing the size of the waiting rooms by developing a new mobile app. We knew providing real-time appointment updates would help prevent overcrowding by allowing patients to enter without waiting.

THE OUTCOME

The result of this project is a beautiful, 39,000 square-foot specialty hospital. Together, our teams were able to successfully work within the space provided to convert an old, rundown structure into a spacious floor plan that serves the hospital’s many programs.

● Two-Bed In-Patient Hospital Suite
● Emergency Department (includes 10 treatment rooms)
● Imaging & Radiology Department (includes X-Ray, UltraSound, CT Scan, & MRI areas)
● Wound Care & Hyperbaric Centers
● Women’s Health & Pediatric Centers
● Rehabilitation Center
● Sports Medicine Center
● On-Site Patient Lab
● On-Site Pharmacy
● Dining & Kitchen Areas

In addition to the physical structure and space requirements, we also prioritized patient flow throughout the entire building. With a focus on creativity in design and layout, this two-bed hospital (the first of its kind in the state of Texas) now houses everything CHRISTUS needs to operate functionally, treat mid-county patients efficiently, and encourage positive word-of-mouth about the striking new facility in town.