DMH Expansion Project & Board Meeting Update
June 24th, 2016 by Joe Burgess
During Wednesday’s meeting of the Drew Memorial Hospital board, CEO Scott Barrilleaux gave an update on the expansion project.
Representatives from approximately 23 contractors and subcontractors were present for Monday’s Pre-Bid Conference. At the conference, Scott Hines, project architect with TEG Architects, reviewed the specs of the project, scope of work and the bidding process. DMH Director of Engineering Ben Moore discussed site conditions and led a walk through with all in attendance. Bids are due Tuesday, July 12 by 1 p.m., at which time the bids will be opened. The bid review period is expected to last a few weeks, per Barrilleaux’s remarks in the board meeting. He also announced that the groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for Friday, July 29, pending a smooth schedule. While he joked that the event would be held at 6 a.m., he does expect it will be a morning event to avoid the heat of the day. The event date and time will be confirmed in the near future.
The June board meeting also included an approval of the hospital’s contract with G4S Secure Solutions, a security company that soon will provide armed guards during evening (7 p.m. – 7 a.m.) and weekend hours. The hospital began official discussions about hiring security guards early this year in an effort to provide a safe environment to community members and employees. Guards could be employed as soon as 30 days from the date the contract was executed. According to Rusty Bryant, who oversees DMH security, G4S often reaches out to local law enforcement agencies to recruit off-duty officers for these positions. The national firm, which has an office in North Little Rock, performs services for other Arkansas hospitals.
