With the federal government’s renewed emphasis on providing funding for medical building construction, Ramtech recently had the opportunity to work with several Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers in developing the required information to complete grant applications for new medical facilities using modular buildings. To start the process, Ramtech met with each of the centers to discuss their specific plans for what they needed in a new building.
Following these meetings the personnel were asked to complete Ramtech’s Space Planning Summary outlining the types and number of spaces they required. These included waiting rooms and reception areas, exam rooms, behavioral health offices, dental operatories, labs, conference rooms and public meeting areas, administrative offices, as well as other support areas. Once all of the facility areas were clearly defined, a square footage was determined using a combination of the center’s layout choice and the typical design standards that would apply based on the activity and anticipated number of occupants in each area of the clinic.
With the information gained from the Space Planning Summary, Ramtech’s in-house design team developed an initial schematic floor plan for each provider to review for comments and changes. By working this way during the revision process, Ramtech was able to develop workable plans that were representative of each center’s desires and needs. Once the review stage was complete, a floor plan and summary of the desired features including the interior and exterior finishes were passed to Ramtech’s estimating department to determine the anticipated price of the proposed project. These estimates included all costs for designing, permitting, and manufacturing of the building as well as the expenses associated with the full development of the anticipated site. Once the plans and cost estimates were completed, a comprehensive proposal was developed which included the estimated cost for a turn-key project, a summary of the services to be provided by Ramtech, and an outline specification describing the proposed materials, systems and method of construction.
Throughout the entire process Ramtech’s primary goal was to present each center with the most accurate and conservative cost estimates possible. Then, in the event that a grant is received, they will have a comfort level that their new facility can be built within the anticipated established cost.
