The $81-million replacement hospital for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians was conceived as a symbol of pride and inspiration, epitomizing the beauty of the Cherokee culture and the Great Smoky Mountains and helping to support the physical, mental and spiritual health of the Cherokee people it serves. As a result, the hospital was designed to transcend the austerity of the previous, government-built facility and instead embody the Cherokee values of spirituality, group harmony, individual character, strong connection to the land, honoring the past, educating children and a sense of humor. Those seven values guided the integrated project delivery team and informed the project’s goals and metrics.

The 150,000-sq-ft hospital includes 20 inpatient and rehabilitation suites; primary, eye and dental clinics; emergency department; procedure suite; and pharmacy. Crediting the team’s embrace of the IPD approach, contractors were able to complete the project 92 days ahead of schedule while also achieving $7 million in value-added features.

The IPD team included 30 companies owned by tribe members, certified by the Tribal Employment Rights Office, and achieved $19.8 million in local participation.

“This project’s about fulfilling a promise to this community,” said Marshall Scott, Robins & Morton’s senior project manager.