I am so proud to say that Pizzagalli’s recent project at CVPH has been recognized as one of the top five lobby/reception area projects (out of 127 submissions) in the Healthcare Design Remodel/Renovation competition. Now it goes to vote and the winning project is in your hands!
Considering my position on the construction team for this project and the fact that I am currently still working at CVPH, my opinion may be just a little biased, however the new CVPH lobby is without a doubt deserving of this award. As you walk through the doors onto the tiled floor you can’t help but notice the beauty of the area. From the high ceilings with two large skylights allowing for natural lighting to the giant stained glass window that grabs your attention as the sun shines through. As you walk through the lower lobby there are a few separate waiting areas with carpet, wood paneling, and a fireplace for a warm and relaxing waiting environment. The new and improved gift shop is centrally located in the lower lobby and features a curved glass entryway perfect for window shopping. Looking up from the main entrance you see through the windows of the second floor surgical waiting area. This upper waiting area allows for a “balcony feel” with its large decorated platform over the main doors. This area is typically decorated with trees and plants with different scenes depending on the time of year.
It was an amazing transformation as the job progressed. I personally have gone online and voted for the CVPH lobby. Will you? Cast your vote today by clicking here. Voting ends September 13.
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I was honored to be part of a very special event for Canton-Potsdam Hospital – the ground breaking to begin construction on the Hospital’s new cancer center.
This event has been a long time coming. We have been working with MorrisSwitzer Environments for Health and the Hospital’s leadership for just over two years in a process that ultimately resulted in the design, and now the construction, of a new cancer center.
I was moved to hear from the Hospital’s special guest speaker, Jacquelyn Kuno, the Foundation Board Vice Chair and a cancer survivor who received treatment at the Hospital. She spoke of the quality care she received and how eager she was to see a new linear accelerator and facility that will provide technology to match the quality of care provided by the Canton-Potsdam caregivers.
Pizzagalli is proud to be part of a team that will bring state-of-the art cancer treatment to upstate New York . . . and that’s a very good team to be on!
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new cancer center at Canton-Potsdam Hospital
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Four years ago my family moved to Kansas and I had to leave my job as Project Manager at Pizzagalli. When I returned a few weeks ago to take on the role of Director of Business Development at Pizzagalli, it was like coming home. Seeing all the familiar faces and renewing old friendships really made me feel at ease. Although I had not been around in years, it felt like a blink of the eye, and I truly feel fortunate for all of the warm greetings that awaited me. And that is one of the reasons that Pizzagalli is truly a special company. At the risk of sounding like a cliché, when one works for Pizzagalli, they really are a member of a special family.
My new position as Director of Business Development for the Water Treatment market will present challenges and opportunities quite different from those of my former life as a Mechanical Superintendent and Project Manager – and I am excited for the journey. While I will be highly involved with the competitive bid aspect of water treatment work, my primary goal will focus on furthering Pizzagalli’s procurement of design-build and integrated delivery construction projects in this market. I look forward to strengthening current relationships with engineers, clients, and industry associations while meeting new faces and promoting the value of design-build and integrated delivery construction methods to meet all of our clients’ needs.
I look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming Chesapeake AWWA Tri-Association Conference, the AWWA Rocky Mountain Section Joint Annual Conference, and the Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference. Although I will be unable to attend the Virginia Section AWWA WaterJAM, look for our exhibit and the opportunity to talk with some of Pizzagalli’s professionals in the Water Treatment market.
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Lead has long been recognized as a serious health hazard and, for years, was a common ingredient used in many construction materials, most notably lead paint. The health risks related to lead exposure are particularly serious for young children. In 1977 the use of lead paint was banned in the United States. In addition, OSHA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) have strict requirements for contractors who disturb lead paint or materials suspected of containing lead.
Over the years The USEPA and OSHA have continually modified the lead paint standards and requirements. The latest change in the law requires certification for contractors performing lead based paint renovation, repair, and painting activities for all work taking place in housing, child care, and school buildings. While the requirement is restricted to the type of projects listed above, many current Pizzagalli clients have indicated that certification will be required for all contractors performing work for them.
Even though all lead-related work associated with our projects is subcontracted to abatement contractors, Pizzagalli is responsible for the proper and safe execution of the work. As a result, our project teams must be aware of safety and disposal requirements associated with lead.
Pizzagalli has fulfilled all EPA requirements and received certification from the USEPA to perform this type of work. In addition to the certification, ten Pizzagalli construction professionals have completed training on disturbance of lead paint. This certification and Pizzagalli’s efforts to provide associated training goes hand-in-hand with our commitment to ensuring the safety and health of everyone connected to our projects, including those executing the work and those using the completed facility.
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Pizzagalli is now live with a customized YouTube channel. The highlight of our channel includes three new videos created to showcase who we are as a constructor of water/wastewater treatment plants, buildings, and facilities, and features our employees’ feelings about our great company.
Check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/user/PIZZAGALLI
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Paddles up! Ready, Ready, take it away!
The Burlington, Vermont, Waterfront was buzzing with excitement on Sunday, August 8 as I participated in the 5th Annual Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival and races. An enthusiastic crowd looked on as 75 teams raced all day long to raise money for Camp Ta-Kum-Ta and Dragonheart Vermont. This was my second experience as part of the Pizzagalli team.
It’s an important event for me as cancer has touched the lives of several of my family members and friends. Not only does this event raise money to help those diagnosed with cancer, but it’s also a great way to bond with your co-workers and give back to your local community.
The Pizzagalli Paddlers finished 24th out of all race teams, with our best finish of the day at 00:58.16. Our team also took a 1st place award for the Best t-shirt design. And most importantly, we are extremely proud to have ranked 14th on the donations leaderboard with a total of $2,324 raised before the event (and donations are still trickling in!).
The Pizzagalli Paddlers in action at the 5th Annual Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival
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With Pizzagalli’s $9.5 million Radiation Oncology project at Fletcher Allen Health Care now undergoing the finishing touches, the hospital is anticipating treating their first patients in the new department within the next few weeks. The new facility houses dosimitry and treatment planning, patient exam room space, gendered changing areas, patient registration, and a comfortable waiting room, as well as three new linear accelerator vaults.
The new space necessitates an updated operational plan for the staff and treatment providers. To test the new plan and assist in those preparations, Pizzagalli facilitated a Day in the Life exercise on Monday August 2. Hospital staff volunteered to play the roles of patients and families to run through the processes of registering a patient, providing a treatment plan, and administering treatment on an inpatient and outpatient visit. Amidst these regular functions, there was a full power outage and fire alarm, and a code 99 and patient assist were called. This allowed emergency responders to map the best route to and from the new location.
Collectively, we were able to test building systems, operational efficiencies, and ensure that we are prepared for opening day. I personally love being part of the process – people are getting excited for their new space and the spirit of making things just right for the patients is overwhelming. And every time we help activate a new space, I learn more about hospital operations and bring that knowledge back to Pizzagalli’s Health Care teams. That helps make our next hospital project even better.
Photo by Raj Chawla / UVM Medical Photography
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Pizzagalli’s recently-completed Outpatient Surgery Center project at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center opened its doors last month. The new 41,000 square-foot facility houses eight operating rooms, associated support space, public access space, outpatient lab services, and a central sterile processing area.
The complexity of these health care projects, with enhanced regulation and complicated infrastructure, is why this type of construction is so appealing to me. I’ve been working on projects at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for 23 months and it’s great to see the results of those efforts. People are oohing and ahhing over the new center and it’s gratifying to know we’ve been part of it. It’s been a pleasure working with the DHMC teams at every turn: clinical staff, care providers, facilities, leadership, housekeeping, and beyond.
Take a moment to check out the new facility via a guided tour by Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Medical Director, Dr. Douglas Merrill.
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Why would you want to be a member of one of the greatest non-profit organizations in America? Being a member of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. My favorite part about NAWIC is the education, specifically the grade school competition.
Our education process starts with young children as we introduce them to construction through an annual Lego competition. Given guidelines and limited materials, it is amazing to see the imagination these precious children have and the energy they put into constructing their best masterpiece. We know that education at all levels is crucial for the construction industry. High school students participate in a CADD drafting competition. College students attaining a construction-related degree are supported through scholarships to local colleges with funds raised by NAWIC. And as members, we advance our own education through the NAWIC Education Foundation. Our mission is to promote the employment, education, and advancement of women in the construction industry. And every member does just that.
Please check into your local NAWIC Chapter or visit us online. There you’ll find an organization with a supportive and caring group of women working to better the future of the construction industry.
NAWIC’s core purpose is “to enhance the Success of Women in the Construction Industry.” We pledge “as material for the construction of our building, the agility of our hands, the ability of our minds and the integrity of our heart.”
A student uses her creativity while constructing her masterpiece for NAWIC's annual Lego competition
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In 2006 we realized our system of providing health care to employees was broken. We weren’t providing “health” care; we were providing “sick” care.
Approximately 45% of Pizzagalli employees who paid health care premiums didn’t actually use the health care system during the year – not even once. They didn’t get a physical, a mammogram, a colonoscopy – nothing. With preventive care covered 100% simply by paying their premiums, these treatments were essentially already paid for, yet these employees had failed to cash in.
I often talk about the 80/20 rule where 20% of your challenges take 80% of your time. In our health care model we had the 50/2/1.5 rule, meaning that 1.5% of our participants over a 2-year period generated 50% of our health care costs. And most disturbing was that 60% of the health care challenges among the 1.5% were preventable. In other words, less than 1% of our covered population generated about a third of our health care costs, all which could have been prevented.
The remaining handful of people, the .5% who became ill, is the reason why we have insurance. I don’t mind paying into a system to cover the .5% because I may someday be one of those folks who is faced with a catastrophic illness out of the blue.
So there we were with 45% of our covered employees not even getting a physical, even though they had already paid for it, and 1% of our covered population generating a third of our health care costs. We surmised that most of those in the 45% category who never went to the doctor would someday turn into our 1%. But how could we reach these folks?
This story will continue with future posts to our blog. Click here to read Part 1 of this Health and Wellness blog series.
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