UTMB Developments and Updates

[editor 1003]

http://www.globest.com/news/1364_1364/houston/177375-1.html

GALVESTON, TX-Following months of uncertainty, and disdaining a recommendation from an Atlanta, GA consulting firm, the University of Texas System Board of Regents voted unanimously to restore the 500-bed John Sealy Hospital and trauma center to its pre-hurricane operations, and to build a new surgical tower. The 12-story hospital, seriously damaged when Hurricane Ike came ashore last September, has been open on a very limited basis and with an uncertain fate.

[69Chevy 0]

http://www.globest.com/news/1364_1364/houston/177375-1.html

That is the best news I have heard post-Ike!

[Talbot 32]

That is awesome news! It would have been horrible for that hospital to have gone relict or be torn down.

Edited March 15, 2009 by Talbot

[citizen4rmptown 165]

Good news, for a moment i actually thought this thing would get demolished.

[Mr. B 6]

You know I am curious as to how many feel toward UTMB. Been on the island for going on 11 years now or should I say we have a place we call our second home and spend much time for the past 11 years on Galveston.

I have talked to about a dozen folks and seems that its 50/50 with people on whether they are happy with UTMB reopening or not. Guess the mix of folks is long time residents and weekenders for quite some time on the island.

Almost all understood having UTMB was good for jobs on the island and as a teaching institution, but many felt that due to the services offered by UTMB or the percieved services they offer to the indigent population that it brings far to many of a class of people that some island residents don't want. Some residents even mentioned they noticed that since UTMB has ceased many of its services that some of the folks living in Galveston for the free stuff shall we say have gone elsewhere.

I do know someone who used to be a nurse there and was told the hospital did offer free services to many which is good in a way cause not everyone can afford insurance. She said there were many cases she knew of where people actually moved to Galveston with no jobs, etc simply because they could get free health care (I cannot vouch for any truth to this as I do not know what services UTMB offers outside of teaching and regular hospital).

Anyone else out there have any dealings with them.

[TheNiche 944]

You know I am curious as to how many feel toward UTMB. Been on the island for going on 11 years now or should I say we have a place we call our second home and spend much time for the past 11 years on Galveston.

I have talked to about a dozen folks and seems that its 50/50 with people on whether they are happy with UTMB reopening or not. Guess the mix of folks is long time residents and weekenders for quite some time on the island.

Almost all understood having UTMB was good for jobs on the island and as a teaching institution, but many felt that due to the services offered by UTMB or the percieved services they offer to the indigent population that it brings far to many of a class of people that some island residents don't want. Some residents even mentioned they noticed that since UTMB has ceased many of its services that some of the folks living in Galveston for the free stuff shall we say have gone elsewhere.

I do know someone who used to be a nurse there and was told the hospital did offer free services to many which is good in a way cause not everyone can afford insurance. She said there were many cases she knew of where people actually moved to Galveston with no jobs, etc simply because they could get free health care (I cannot vouch for any truth to this as I do not know what services UTMB offers outside of teaching and regular hospital).

Anyone else out there have any dealings with them.

Both of my parents and nearly all of their friends have at some point or another been employed by UTMB, so I've probably rehashed this conversation with almost a dozen former employees now. UTMB had a referral system set up with many local governments including all of the 'Golden Triangle' and as far north as Lufkin, attracting indigents with chronic conditions to Galveston such as that, if they were in Harris County, would be treated at Ben Taub. Of course, a commute from deep east Texas to Galveston on a regular basis doesn't appeal to many indigents, so they tended to relocate permanently. Additionally, because health care was so readily available, was so amazingly good, and because Galveston has a really nice climate, unofficial indigent populations relocated to Galveston (and the way the story is told, somebody always mentions the Upper Midwest as a source point). This all a big part of why up until Ike struck, Galveston had more public housing per capita than any other City in the country, including New Orleans and why there was no other City of Galveston's size that had any kind of hospital with that many beds that served the same City so exclusively.

When UTMB closed down, it overwhelmed many of the local systems. UTMB had had some very specialized programs that just aren't available anywhere else, and replicating them locally just isn't feasible. So post-Ike, there were three politically-feasible outcomes:

-Indigent care becomes decentralized, treated either on the County level or at the Councils of Government level. Specialized treatment goes to Harris County by default (and probably informally), whether Harris County likes it or not, because they had the next most sophisticated capabilities. New hospital districts levy new taxes on lots of poor rural populations.

-Indigent care is in essence privatized; different local governments negotiate with institutions to provide services. Either new hospital districts levy new taxes on lots of poor rural populations or some teaching hospital somewhere gets duped into the same money-losing setup as UTMB.

-UTMB restores indigent care and is subsidized to cover its losses by somebody, somewhere, somehow.

Clearly enough State legislators were going to be pissed off over this to get something done. And the logic in rural Texas demands no new taxes for any reason, ever.

Edited March 18, 2009 by TheNiche

[Mr. B 6]

Nicely put and thanks for the info.

Makes it a little easier to understand than the He said/She said info I had been hearing from folks.

[Urbannizer 44484]

Medical branch officials and state Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston, said they expect construction to begin in 2011.

http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=40b71f957a7768d2

[Urbannizer 44484]

Contractors working on improvements at UTMB

The Daily NewsPublished April 3, 2011

By Amanda Casanova

GALVESTON — Construction could total more than $1 billion after storm recovery work and capital improvement work at the University of Texas Medical Branch are complete.

***

The biggest project in this category is the construction of a Jennie Sealy replacement hospital, which will have new operating rooms and intensive care unit.“That’s in design,” Shiner said. “We’re hoping for the final approval from the board in the summer of 2011. Then we can go into construction.

Link

[Porchman 123]

The UT Regents have approved the building of the new Jennie Sealey Hospital

Flyer

https://ispace.utmb.edu/departments/PublicAffairs/Web/Campaign/Jennie%20Sealy%20Fact%20Sheet_Public.pdf

The new building will replace the old Jennie Sealey building and front on Strand.

[Urbannizer 44484]

Here's the article:

UTMB Gets OK to Build New Island Hospital

By John DeLapp

Published August 26, 2011

GALVESTON — The University of Texas Medical Branch has cleared a major hurdle and is moving ahead with plans to build a $438 million hospital on the island.

After years of planning and negotiating, the UT Board of Regents gave its thumbs-up to the Jennie Sealy Hospital project at its meeting Thursday. The Galveston-based Sealy & Smith Foundation then pledged $170 million to the construction project.

“We greatly appreciate the continued confidence that the regents, the foundation and Texas’ elected officials have in UTMB,” Dr. David L. Callender, president of the medical branch, said. “This new hospital represents a major milestone in the university’s recovery from Hurricane Ike.”

The new hospital has been in the planning stages for many years, Callender said.

“I got here in 2007, and it is my understanding that a hospital tower was first proposed in 1997,” he said.

To make way for the new hospital and a utility building, the old Jennie Sealy and Shriners hospitals will be demolished, Callender said.

“We don’t implode and we won’t use a wrecking ball (because of the possibility of having asbestos),” he said. “We will take them down piece by piece.”

The demolition will begin later this fall and continue into the spring, when construction will begin. Four years later, Jennie Sealy should be open for business.

“In early 2016, we should be ready for patients,” Callender said.

Funding for the project will come from several sources. In addition to the $170 million from the Sealy & Smith Foundation, $150 million in state legislature-approved Texas revenue bonds will be issued. The remaining $118 million will come from the medical branch, with $100 million of that to be covered by donors.

“We have donors that are waiting,” Callender said.

When completed, the 13-story hospital will have about 250 rooms for patients, 20 operating suites and 54 intensive care beds. It will be connected by an elevated walkway to John Sealy Hospital.

When the construction of the new hospital and the ongoing renovations at John Sealy are complete, the complex will have about 600 beds, Callender said.

All of the productive areas of the new Jennie Sealy Hospital — beds, utilities, etc. — will be at least 25 feet above ground,” Callender said.

“This hospital will be built to withstand a major storm, he said.

The project will have a major economic impact, too.

“This will have a significant, positive effect on the economy,” Callender said. “Today, we have about 1,600 contractors on campus working (on repairs from Hurricane Ike damage). We’re going to add on top of that and we will have 2,000-plus workers for the next three to four years.”

The size of the hospital staff also will increase.

http://galvestondail...om/story/253098

[Urbannizer 44484]

Taken a few hours ago:

 

 

 

 

 

[Urbannizer 44484]

Today:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sevfiv 1415]

Thanks for the updates! I was in the area last month and it was busy!

[Urbannizer 44484]

 

 

 

[Urbannizer 44484]

Update - 6/8

 

[Urbannizer 44484]

6/29

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Urbannizer 44484]

9/10 

 

 

[Urbannizer 44484]

Today

 

[Urbannizer 44484]

[xsatyr 72]

I'll start posting pics soon including the interior construction. I just started working there today.

[plumber2 232]

Those final pictures are from Harborside Drive. The wall facing the street was built to hide the central plant, and cooling tower equipment. Before that wall was built in the early 1990's you could still see the section end of the original seawall. It ended at Water St. and went south down 6th St. (present University Blvd) and turned southwest at Broadway. You can still see the top of it along 6th St. as part of the sidewalk, especially in front of Arlan's Market.

[xsatyr 72]

 

I couldn't take many pics inside because my main boss was there and the staff for Jennie Sealy do not appreciate workers on their cell phones. We were given warnings during orientation. Unfortunately I won't be able to contribute any more pics because I am back in Houston. 

Edited November 15, 2013 by xsatyr

[Urbannizer 44484]

12/9

[Montrose1100 3783]

Galveston looks like that one city you had in Sim City 4 that had a couple high-rises but would never kick off. 

 

 

[plumber2 232]

Notice the pink porta potty in post #23's pictures. Ladies used to have to share with the guys back in my days in construction. 

Cussing, foul language, and smoking were normal activities on construction sites of yesteryear. Things have improved so much in recent years.

[asubrt 755]

 

 

Edited November 15, 2018 by asubrt

[Urbannizer 44484]

Taken about an hour ago by me.

 

 

 

 

[Urbannizer 44484]

The building has topped out. One would expect it to open before early 2016 based on how far along it is now.

 

 

 

 

Another building on the way:

 

[TowerSpotter 1173]

I'm guessing there is no rendering for this one??? If not would you know how many floors it would be?

[Urbannizer 44484]

I'm guessing there is no rendering for this one??? If not would you know how many floors it would be?

 

There's a rendering in a few of my pics, but here ya go, 13-floors:

 

[TowerSpotter 1173]

I guess I should of been more specific, I meant the new building. sorry for the confusion. 

[Urbannizer 44484]

I guess I should of been more specific, I meant the new building. sorry for the confusion. 

 

Aaah, sorry about that. Right now, there's no rendering available. An article on it was released but I can't find it at the moment.

[TowerSpotter 1173]

Oh great, thanks Urbannizer. Heres to hoping its another tower. 

[BigFootsSocks 3198]

New building? Link to an article?

[Urbannizer 44484]

http://www.utmb.edu/fridayfocus/

 

[Urbannizer 44484]

7-story research facility for 11th and Strand. Saw a rendering a while back but can't seem to come across it now.

 

Pic I took a few days ago:

 

[Urbannizer 44484]

UTMB set to open new hospital in Galveston

 

The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston is set to open its new Jennie Sealy Hospital following a nearly four-year construction period of the 765,000-square-foot hospital.

 

The health system, which is the largest employer on the island, celebrated the completion of the project with a dedication ceremony Feb. 26 with U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and University of Texas Chancellor William McRaven. It will begin accepting patients in April.

 

 

[Urbannizer 44484]

Rendering on Pg. 9: http://www.bayareahouston.com/Assets/HOT%20PROJECTS/Hot%20Projects%20early%20March%202016%20for%20the%20website%20rfs.pdf