Dartmouth-Hitchcock Surgery Center

The 91,000-square-foot expansion of the 1998 Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic in Manchester, NH was driven by a goal of providing convenient, comprehensive state-of-the-art medical services in one location while permitting patient recovery at home. The project features an Ambulatory Surgery Center with operating rooms, endoscopy rooms, pre/post-operative spaces, and a Center for Pain and Spine to support extended stays of up to 23 hours.  A new Medical Infusion Suite and a fixed MRI, in addition to renovated medical offices, support the expansion of specialty services and primary care to meet the evolving needs of pediatric and adult Southern New Hampshire residents.

Clinical teams played a significant role in the design process, which was to focus on clinical and operational flexibility, permitting the conversion of spaces into more operating rooms or primary care spaces, as needs arise. Richard Pizzi, CEO of Lavallee Brensinger Architects, stated, “Our team worked collaboratively with D-H (Dartmouth-Hitchcock) to develop a flexible outpatient prototype informed by research, lessons learned from recent D-H facilities projects, and industry best practices. Our end goal was: to ensure we create a high-performing facility to help staff provide great care for their patients in an environment that promotes collaboration and a high degree of staff satisfaction.”

Kirlin Smart LED MRI Lighting System was specified as the one-and-only reliable and cost-effective solution for illuminating the first fixed (permanent) MRI ever provided at this Manchester facility. Kirlin IP-65 rated, sealed and gasketed 1500 and 2500 Lumen, 4100K, high CRI downlights are installed in Operating Rooms, “Shelled” ORs, Procedure Rooms (such as Endoscopy), Pre-Post Op patient rooms, Surgical corridors, Treatment Rooms, and Exam rooms. Maintaining sterility and minimizing nosocomial infection while providing glare-free, accurate CRI, and uniform illumination were key specifying objectives.

A project of this magnitude can introduce a plethora of logistical challenges if many Lighting Representatives are responsible for relatively minor portions of the job. Many lighting manufacturers were specified or listed as “equal”, which potentially could have resulted in eight different Sales Agencies responsible for communications and schedule coordination with Electrical Distributors and Electrical Contractors. Kirin’s Sales Representative, Charron, Inc., recognized this potential nightmare and solidified a specified package involving only 2 Sales Representatives, one EC, and one Wholesaler, ensuring a controlled and well-executed lighting solution. Despite being in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kirlin delivered all 300 luminaires on time in Quarter 2, 2020.

This facility opened and began treating patients in early Spring, 2021.