Healthcare Design - September 2020 - 29

HCD 10

OWNER

CHRISTOPHER HOY
Senior supervisory construction manager, capital construction
& renovations, University of Virginia (Charlottesville, Va.)
WHO HE IS: Christopher Hoy started his career in the private construction industry before joining the University of Virginia (UVA) in 1997. His first UVA
project was a total renovation of the emergency department (ED) at University
Hospital, where he says he quickly recognized the importance of maintaining
a high level of patient care even amid the chaos of construction. More than 20
years later, he was again charged with improving the facility, this time as the
owner's representative for the largest, most complex project ever delivered at
the institution. The University Hospital Expansion project started design in
2014, with a phased completion from 2019-2021. The project includes the addition of 425,000 square feet to the hospital as well as the renovation of 95,000
square feet of existing space, including the ED. Hoy not only led the project for
the organization but established the working culture of the team building it, a
culture that his nomination credits for the project's success.

SANJAY SUCHAK/UVA

YEAR IN REVIEW: Hoy's initiatives begin with the Big Room, a co-location space
where core team members representing the owner, contractor, and architect
worked together six days a week during the six-year project. There, they established a shared vision and built trust that worked to expedite resolution of even
the most complex issues, including managing medical equipment changes that
impacted all procedure rooms as well as phasing turnover and occupancy of the
building. Hoy also stressed engagement with the community by having the project team organize and host a benefit for a local charity each year and lead volunteer activities ranging from building dog houses to donating coats and toys to
sponsoring a 10K race. The environment he fostered not only benefitted the project overall but the team's ability to respond quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Serving as the conduit between organizational leadership and the project team,
he's credited as playing a crucial role in developing, approving, and executing
critical solutions. For example, he orchestrated the on-site team to develop plans
to convert portions of the expansion project for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, guiding them in responding to leadership requests for negative pressure
rooms with alternative exhaust mechanisms. Ultimately, the solutions implemented made all patient rooms and 12 intensive care rooms available, with the
first positive patient moved into the hospital eight days ahead of the scheduled
completion of the COVID-19 rooms.
INDUSTRY IMPACT: A collaborative project team environment has long been
touted as beneficial to both shortening schedule and reducing budget. But Hoy's
leadership on the University Hospital Expansion project demonstrates additional value of a well-integrated team. As he says, "This project is a great example of what can happen when folks collaborate and respect and trust one another. Six years of relationship and trust building on this project allowed us to do in
19 days what would have taken six months to accomplish." In either a traditional
or pandemic scenario, Hoy's efforts to understand the impact of his work on individuals delivers results that contribute to the community at large, including
patients, staff, and his fellow team members.

University Hospital Expansion

University Hospital Expansion

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