General Contractor at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center

Every hospital renovation is an infection-control project that happens to involve construction, and the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center campus is a good example of why. Cheyenne Regional Medical Center is a county-owned, non-profit Level III trauma center that has been renovated in phases, and any contractor working in or beside an occupied hospital has to protect patients, staff and air quality before touching a wall. We build and renovate healthcare space with that priority first.

The hospital's own plans show the pattern. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported on May 30, 2021 that the medical center planned a roughly $115 million renovation over about 10 years, starting with a roughly $10 million first phase to remodel the fourth floor into a mother-baby unit and NICU. Later phases cover East Campus renovations and upgrades for outpatient and community-based care, with more isolation and negative-pressure rooms added after COVID-19.

That is a long program of work in occupied space, and it is the kind of project where a general contractor's discipline matters more than its size. Phasing, containment, utility shutdowns, noise and vibration all have to be planned with the hospital's infection prevention and facilities teams. Owners planning a similar program can see how we work with healthcare systems.

Earlier work on the campus included a new lobby and cancer treatment center in 2014 and radiology renovations in 2017 and 2018. Those projects, together with the reported 2021 plan, show how a regional medical center grows: a unit at a time, in the middle of daily operations, funded as the budget allows. Because the facility is county owned, projects may also follow public procurement and board approval requirements.

We cannot see the current status of each phase, and owners should confirm timelines with the hospital directly. What we can do is describe how we approach work on a campus with this history. Our hospital construction experience and our medical office work cover inpatient units, outpatient clinics and the support space around them, and the process is the same whether the owner is a county hospital or a private system.

Two terms run through most healthcare projects: ICRA, the infection control risk assessment, and negative pressure. Before any demolition, the hospital's infection prevention team classifies the risk of the work and sets containment requirements. We build the barriers, install negative air machines with filtration, monitor pressure differentials and maintain cleaning protocols, and we do not open a wall until the team signs off.

Isolation and negative-pressure rooms add mechanical complexity. They require dedicated exhaust, airflow monitoring, sealed envelopes and testing and balancing that proves the room performs. A mother-baby unit and NICU bring their own needs: medical gas, nurse call, quiet mechanical systems and strict temperature control. Our healthcare construction process integrates these systems from preconstruction so that testing and certification are not discovered late.

Life safety is a daily matter in an occupied hospital. We maintain egress paths and fire-alarm integrity, handle interim life safety measures, protect sprinkler systems and notify the hospital before any impairment. Hot work follows a permit process with fire watches, and utility shutdowns are scheduled by the facilities team with advance notice and a rollback plan.

Noise and vibration are the other concern. Demolition near patient rooms, imaging equipment or labs needs careful methods and sometimes night or weekend work. We build those conditions into the plan, listen to the nursing and facility staff and adjust when a unit's schedule changes. The people who work in the building are our best source of information.

A multi-year renovation program needs a master schedule that connects each phase to the one before it. Moving a department requires a swing space, a move date and a regulatory check before the new space opens. We build a phasing plan that shows which spaces are offline, for how long, and what backfill is needed, then update it every week with the hospital's team.

Long-lead medical equipment and building systems often decide the calendar. Imaging equipment, air handlers and electrical gear need orders and shop drawings months before installation, and the building often needs to be ready before the equipment arrives. Our phased construction on occupied sites process lays this out in detail.

Healthcare campuses typically include outpatient clinics, medical office buildings, parking, utility plants and site improvements. Medical office construction on or near a campus is often a separate project with a different owner or developer, and commissioning and closeout is where mechanical systems and life safety are tested and documented before occupancy.

For education and training related to healthcare, the Laramie County Community College page describes our work with campus owners, and for broader capital-city projects see Cheyenne.

Hospital projects follow healthcare-specific requirements on top of the building code. Wyoming does not have a single statewide building code, so we confirm the adopting jurisdiction and code editions. Laramie County adopted the 2024 International Building Code effective January 1, 2025, and the City of Cheyenne's adoption package was before its governing body in early 2025, so we verify which jurisdiction governs the specific parcel and which energy code applies.

Healthcare facilities also answer to licensing, accreditation and the hospital's own approvals. We coordinate with the architect, the hospital's compliance team and the authorities having jurisdiction so that inspections happen in the right order and certificates are in place before patients move.

Tell us the unit, the systems and the operating constraints. We will outline containment, phasing and a schedule that protects patients and staff.

What is ICRA and why does it matter?

ICRA is the infection control risk assessment. The hospital's infection prevention team uses it to decide what containment, air handling and cleaning the work requires. We build to that plan and do not open a wall until it is approved.

How long might a hospital renovation program take?

Cheyenne Regional's reported plan, as described in 2021, ran about 10 years in phases. Individual phases are shorter, but the full program depends on funding, patient volumes and approvals, so we recommend a master phasing plan that is updated regularly.

Can you work in a unit that stays open?

Yes, with barriers, negative air, noise limits and careful scheduling. We agree on containment and communication with the facilities and nursing teams before work begins.

What is special about negative-pressure rooms?

They need dedicated exhaust, sealed construction, airflow monitoring and certified testing. We coordinate the mechanical, controls and envelope trades early so the room can be tested and approved on schedule.

Do you handle county-owned or public hospital procurement?

We are familiar with public procurement and board approval cycles, including documented bidding, change orders and reporting. We structure the schedule and budget so the owner can show a clear record.