The Maricopa County Special Health Care District Board of Directors today took the first step in building a new health system by unanimously approving an agreement with Vanir Construction Management, Inc., to provide pre-award programming for Integrated Program Management Construction Services.

The 3-month contract allows Vanir to work with MIHS staff and physicians to develop and align Integrated Program Management objectives for the new facilities, including budgetary and time criteria; performance expectations; roles, relationships and responsibilities; and stakeholder engagement needs.

Once that work is completed, the information will serve as the foundation for a final contract award to provide Integrated Program Management for Construction Services to develop MIHS’s new health care facilities.

“Thanks to overwhelming support of the residents of Maricopa County, we’re proceeding down parallel tracks – planning for new facilities while continuing to provide high quality care in our existing buildings,” said MIHS President and CEO Steve Purves. “We are excited to be moving forward with a plan that will allow MIHS to sustain its historic role as Maricopa County’s largest teaching hospital and safety net system of care.”

Voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 480 in 2014 to develop, improve and expand MIHS’s healthcare facilities in Maricopa County. MIHS includes the Maricopa Medical Center, the Arizona Burn Center, Level I Trauma Center, the Arizona Children’s Center, two behavioral health facilities and 13 Family Health Centers located across Maricopa County.

“The size and scope of Maricopa Integrated Health System’s plans makes it one of the most ambitious and significant projects ever in Arizona,” said Vanir Construction Management President Guy Mehula. “We will put Vanir’s long history of serving healthcare clients to work on behalf of MIHS and Maricopa County residents to fully integrate planning efforts to provide modern and safe facilities that maximize quality healthcare outcomes for all.”

Among other priorities, the Proposition 480 project includes funds to help determine how MIHS can best continue to serve the county’s mental health needs, including construction of a new behavioral health facility. In the interim, MIHS plans to add 22 adult inpatient behavioral health beds for patients with medical conditions who have a psychiatric condition as the primary diagnosis. These beds will be located on the third floor of Maricopa Medical Center.

To learn more about MIHS, please visit www.mihs.org.

For more information, visitwww.vanir.com/Markets/Healthcare.