Corps Medical Repair and Renewal team performs upgrades at Fox Army Health

By Jo Anita MileyFebruary 14, 2014

Corps Medical Repair and Renewal Team perform upgrades at Fox Army Health Center
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Fox Army Health Center has served the Redstone Arsenal community for more than 37 years. Now, the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville's Medical Repair and Renewal team has moved in for an upgrade.

The bulk of the project involves installing a new $7 million HVAC system for the entire facility. The MRR team is removing the old components and going in with brand new energy-efficient mechanical system that will improve air quality, reduce energy costs by 35 - 50 percent and bring the medical facility into compliance with modern federal standards.

This is not the first time Huntsville Center has performed work at Fox Army Health Center.

Seon Farris, a project manager for Huntsville Center's MRR team said the HVAC renewal is part of an effort to completely renovate the health care center. Since 2011, his team has supported projects to replace the roof and windows at the facility and remodel restroom and common areas at the facility. More renovations at the facility are slated for fiscal year 2015.

MRR projects for Fox were handled differently from most projects managed by Huntsville Center. Maintaining an optimal level of customer service for beneficiaries was very important, so taking necessary measures to find temporary stations to relocate the patients at Fox while working on the projects had to be done before the project started.

"We put several temporary measures in place in order to keep customer service standards at the same level throughout the renovation process. Patients can still be seen at Fox during the renovations. A transition center has been set up while work continues. We worked closely with the staff to make this a seamless process," Farris said.

Patrick Clark, a program manager on Huntsville Center's MRR program agrees. He said his team was careful to stay on schedule while completing the projects at Fox Army Health Center because an estimated 60,000 patients pass through the doors at this government medical facility each year. Falling behind on schedule can impact the quality of life for patients at Fox.

"Projects of this type involve creating standards of safety that allow medical personnel to maintain a safe and secure environment for its patrons and improve their quality of life. We have a very experienced group of contractors that have a very particular skill set that allows them to perform these renovations with very minimum disruption to the patients and the healthcare staff at Fox," Clark said.

Tracy Lonon, chief of the Facility Management Division at Fox Army Health Center, said customer care is the top priority at his organization. They are always looking for new ways to improve the quality of life for their patients.

"Our vision for Fox Army Health Center is to become the premier model of organizational and beneficiary wellness. The renovations that have been underway for the last few several years are being done to further enhance customer care - we're ready to usher in a new era of patient care here," Lonon said.

Farris said the Medical Repair and Renewal Team welcomes any future opportunity to do business with Fox Army Health Center.

"Our team strives to foster long-standing relationships with our customers. We've worked on projects at Fox for more than three years now, and would like to continue meeting their needs," Farris said.

Lonon agrees. In the past, he said the relationship between Fox Army Health Center and the Corps has always been a strong one. He looks forward to working with Huntsville Center on future endeavors.

"As facility manager for my organization, I have to make the right choices. Once the need for a Military Repair and Renewal project is validated at the Medical Treatment Facility level, I am tasked with choosing an organization to manage our project. My decision is driven by two major factors- effective communication and timely follow-up. I have to trust that project managers on the team I choose will do both," Lonon said. I've worked with other Corps organizations in the past, but Huntsville Center has always proven to excel in these areas, providing us with project managers who are committed, knowledgeable and consistent with support. We're grateful to have Huntsville Center as our partner."

The Huntsville Center Medical Repair and Renewal Program was established in 1990. When requested, the center will provide program and project management, engineering, contracting and construction support for multiple Department of Defense and non-DODF agencies/locations nationwide.

To learn more about Huntsville Center's MRR Program, call 256-895-1957.