North Shore Medical Center (NSMC), a community hospital in the Partners HealthCare system, is undergoing a 255,000 SF expansion and renovation project on its Salem, Mass. campus. The $207 million project includes a new 118,000 SF building for the emergency department and a family-centered medical/surgical inpatient unit, as well as a 137,000 SF renovation of the former Spaulding North Shore building to expand NSMC’s behavioral health services for children, adolescents, adults and seniors. With the goal of improving care and coordination across a wide spectrum of health services, the project consolidates NSMC’s hospital-based medical, surgical and behavioral health services on its Salem Hospital campus to create a robust regional facility for inpatient and emergency care.

Designed by Shepley Bulfinch and constructed by Walsh Brothers, Inc., the new building includes a new 64,000 SF emergency department with dedicated areas for adult and pediatric care, separate treatment space for adult behavioral health patients, and 24 new private inpatient rooms on a medical/surgical floor. The renovated building provides 90 behavioral health beds to serve children, adolescents, adults and seniors, increasing NSMC’s mental health treatment capacity by 36 percent and adding 24 much-needed beds to the community.

Code Red Consultants’ services included development of a comprehensive code report, preparation of life safety plans, and coordination with design team members and Authorities Having Jurisdiction on all code compliance facets of the project. The building was designed and permitted under the 8th Edition of the Mass. State Building Code, which required smoke dampers to be provided at the HVAC penetrations of all smoke barrier walls – a feature no longer required under newer code editions. Code Red Consultants pursued and was granted a variance to omit the smoke dampers at all smoke barrier penetrations on the basis of the newer code language. This accepted solution saved the hospital considerable expense in installation costs as well as significant inspection, testing, and maintenance costs over the life of the building.