LIHU‘E — Wilcox Medical Center was recently named winner of an Engineering News-Record Best Project Award of Merit for its emergency generator replacement project.
LIHU‘E — Wilcox Medical Center was recently named winner of an Engineering News-Record Best Project Award of Merit for its emergency generator replacement project.
General Contractor Layton Construction Company submitted the entry for consideration to ENR on behalf of the Lihu‘e medical center. Wilcox was awarded in the category of “Small Project (under $10 million)” for the Southern California region based on criteria that included overcoming challenges and teamwork, safety, innovation and contribution to the industry, construction quality and craftsmanship, and functionality of design and aesthetic quality.
According to a press release, the emergency generator replacement project concluded earlier in 2022 following nearly two years of construction. During this period, the medical center remained open and fully operational to provide health care for the island of Kaua‘i.
This project was a collaboration between federal, state, and county officials who worked together to secure the new generators that combined, provide three times the power than the previous two generators to the Wilcox campus.
Wilcox Medical Center committed to pay $9 million toward the project with the remaining funding being a result of a partnership with the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency. The partnership afforded Wilcox the opportunity to apply for and receive a $4 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program.
The long-term investment in electric technology coincides with another facility upgrade of the Wilcox Emergency Department that was financed through a successful fundraising campaign by the Wilcox Health Foundation.
Wilcox Medical Center is the island’s only Level III Trauma Center, and was the first neighbor island medical center to achieve that designation. Wilcox is also Hawai‘i’s first Level III Trauma Center to be verified by the American College of Surgeons.
The Wilcox Emergency Department averages 25,000 visits annually, and 450 trauma activations per year.
