This article originally appeard on CityBiz.
Hoar Construction announced today the topping out of Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital in Hobbs, New Mexico, signifying the building reaching its highest point. The 109,000-square-foot future healthcare facility will be the largest community hospital in the area and is scheduled for completion in Summer 2022. The $65 million development is Hoar’s fourth in the state and is the result of a new partnership with project owner Covenant Health, the only faith-based clinically integrated health network in the West Texas-Eastern New Mexico region.
Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital broke ground in January of this year at Millen Drive and Lovington Highway northwest of Hobbs. The new 60-bed hospital, which will replace the existing Lea Regional Medical Center, will include a patient tower, emergency department, intensive care unit, and operating rooms, along with a dedicated women’s center at the north end of the facility offering obstetrics, mammography services, labor and delivery, and more. Covenant Health Hobbs fills the need for a large-scale hospital to provide immediate service to local residents who previously had to travel several miles away for patient care, with Hobbs’ population growing by 20% over the last decade.
Hoar had to navigate several challenges during initial construction, including a shortage in skilled labor, shortage in material, and the on-site excavation of caliche rock, which makes up the entire 27-acre property that the hospital sits on. Despite the challenges associated with the project, the team continues to look and find opportunities to improve on the project schedule. Skilled laborers from markets across the country have played a role in the development of this hospital, requiring strict scheduling coordination and careful communication throughout the entirety of the project.
The future hospital includes more than 760 tons of steel, over 850,000 feet of electrical wiring, 250,000 feet of conduit, and nearly half a million pounds of rebar.
“The people of Hobbs deserve a full-service, modern hospital that is equipped to serve its fast-growing population, and we are honored to play a role in providing this wonderful community with convenient access to essential healthcare,” said Ben Carmicheal, Senior Project Manager at Hoar. “This topping out signifies a successful milestone in Hoar’s new partnership with Covenant Health, and we look forward to writing the final chapters of this project ahead of next year’s grand opening.”
“We are excited to celebrate the progress we’ve made on Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital this far,” Covenant Health Regional Chief Executive Walt Cathey said. “We’re also taking this time to celebrate the ways this new hospital will change health care in the Hobbs and surrounding communities. by providing the highest-quality care close to home.”
Synergis Development Partners is serving as developer for the project, with E4H Environments for Health Architecture.
Hoar has established itself as a national powerhouse in healthcare construction, generating more than $650 million in total revenue in major markets across the U.S. over the past five years. Recent projects include a $30 million Veterans Affairs mental health clinic in Birmingham, the expansion of the Houston Methodist hospital system in Texas, a replacement hospital and new central utility plant for Uvalde Memorial Hospital in Texas, and a major expansion project at Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart in Florida.
