Portland, OR
Walla Walla EHRM
EHRM Infrastructure Upgrades
VA hospitals across the country are beginning the transition to the Cerner Electronic Health Record Management system. In support of this initiative, GDM worked with the team at the Jonathan M. Wainwright VA Medical Center to provide all architectural and engineering services required to design and upgrade the system that will allow the transition to occur.
Team members drafted plans to renovate the telephone room and renovate and add IT closets. Designers planned for additional power drops to meet the power needs of new equipment. Renovating an information system required our team to provide cabling – in some instances replacing cabling.
Rooms housing telecommunication equipment require proper cooling systems with emergency power backup. Designers took this into account and provided plans to improve HVAC cooling controls. The GDM team evaluated and designed the HVAC so there was an integrated control HVAC system. They also designed a system that would interface with the existing system.
Transitioning to the Cerner EHRM system requires new and additional hardware. GDM planned for server installations. The designs called for removing old telecommunication gear and ensuring there was space for the Cerner gear. Designers planned, sized and specified specific UPS equipment to support necessary run time and power in the racks as well as plan for new EHR racks.
This project required a full array of services including, but not limited to architectural, mechanical, electrical, environmental, fire protection, interior design, plumbing and telecommunications systems. Due to the age of the facility and the nature of the material used in its original construction, the team was also tasked with providing asbestos and lead mitigation planning services. As the team worked on the project, they also addressed any FCA deficiencies. Project was completed on time and within budget to the satisfaction of VA stakeholders.