The Center for Advanced Care, a three-story addition to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, added 155,000 square feet to the main campus. The Center supports a new ambulatory surgery center with six operating rooms, a digestive health program, and an expanded cancer center (including radiation oncology with two linear accelerators, an infusion suite, a CT simulator, and brachytherapy). Various patient exam rooms, support spaces, and offices were also provided.
A pharmacy cleanroom was an important aspect of the program. Commissioning of a USP 797-compliant pharmacy (IV prep room, chemotherapy compounding room, and anteroom), required to prepare infusion medications, was a key part of the project. Benefits and features of the pharmacy commissioning work included:
- Design reviews to ensure pharmacy cleanroom compliance with USP 797 and the Illinois Department of Public Health requirements, including verifying USP 797 compliance of a chemotherapy biological safety cabinet and hood, and IV prep laminar flow workstations. GBA shared lessons learned from prior commissioning and design experience with the project team.
- Systems testing to ensure correct parameters for pharmacy cleanroom and anteroom pressurization, as well as temperature control for the comfort of gowned occupants.
- Room construction reviews to check conformance of ceiling tiles, light fixtures, caulking, and other features.
- Coordination with the department head, as well as the certification agency, to ensure that the pharmacy can be easily and efficiently certified on an annual basis.
- Testing of exhaust fan failure to ensure that occupants receive proper notification if systems fail. Testing included verifying the HVAC response to maintain the room pressurization as safely as possible.
