CBRE Healthcare and Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority are pleased to announce the successful Topping Out Ceremony of the new Cherokee Indian Hospital in Cherokee, North Carolina.

The Topping Out Ceremony took place on Friday, October 24, 2014 only eight (8) months after the construction start date. The event started at 11:30 am EDT on the construction site of the new hospital and was attended by CBRE Healthcare and other members of the construction team, hospital staff, and tribal leadership. There were approximately 300 people in attendance. 

“It has been a pleasure to work with the Staff of Cherokee Indian Hospital and our IPD Partners - Design Strategies and Robins and Morton, to reach this topping out milestone,” stated Tim McCurley, Principal Consultant for CBRE Healthcare. “This day represents a continuing effort from hospital leaders on improving the healthcare of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. CBRE Healthcare is grateful for the opportunity to partner with Cherokee Indian Hospital and we look forward to the successful completion of this amazing project next year!”

On March 18, 2014, Cherokee Indian Hospital broke ground for the new $75 million, 140,000 square foot facility. The design of the new building captures the history and healing culture of the Cherokee tribe. The hospital will include 20 inpatient beds, outpatient services, lab, pharmacy, complimentary therapies, physical therapy and other services that are currently offered by Cherokee Indian Hospital. The new facility, located adjacent to the current hospital, is scheduled to open in late 2015.

“It’s hard to believe that eight months ago we stood on top of the mountain and broke ground,” stated Casey Cooper, CEO of Cherokee Indian Hospital. "Today, you see the progress made with collaboration and cooperation.”

In partnership with CBRE Healthcare, Cherokee Indian Hospital is utilizing Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) to manage planning and construction. CBRE Healthcare was engaged as the Owner’s Representative early in project planning to coordinate and manage team selection and project launch. Utilizing IPD has allowed the team to recover two (2) months in the construction schedule while still maintaining the budget, which includes approximately $6 million in added value items. Daily Project Implementation Meetings that include an architect, engineer, contractor, subcontractor and owner’s representative, foster integrated design and management, making these milestones and achievements concrete. As a result, the IPD team working on the Cherokee Indian Hospital reached the topping out milestone only eight (8) months after construction started and 12 months after the project was launched. These successful milestones are a testament to the efficiencies and flexibility that IPD provides.

As Owner’s Representative, CBRE Healthcare is responsible for on-site project management, master budget and schedule development, project delivery team selection assistance, contract negotiation, project cost and schedule management, and project delivery team coordination.