Those in need of urgent medical attention should never be turned away. Yet this past year, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, found itself on divert status, at full capacity, and without the ability to care for more patients. Thus, the medical center began preparation for a construction project that would revitalize the center's emergency room services.

With conventional site-built contractors estimated one year or more to complete an emergency room addition for Raritan Bay, an urgent timeframe rendered a bleak future. The medical center was left searching for a more efficient alternative-modular construction.

Part of "Project ER," as hospital officials called it, factory-built buildings would help redefine the emergency care experience for numerous patients. And not only would the project be complete in less than three months, but the bid by the modular building dealer was 28% less than those submitted by conventional contractors.

Expansion at Raritan Bay more than doubled the size of the emergency department, making it 10,000 square feet. Pittsburgh-based Modular Design Technology, a dealer of commercial modular buildings, provided the 22 factory-built units and saw that the project was complete in less than half the time and at almost one-third under budget. While the foundation for the addition was being prepared on-site, NRB, Inc. Modular Building Systems in Ontario, Canada constructed the steel and concrete modular units.

Modular buildings are made of the same materials used in site-built construction. They meet all local, state, and national codes for commercial construction, ensuring the detailed quality every medical facility, in particular, demands.

Electrical, plumbing, and telecommunication lines were all installed in the factory, as were finishes on the walls, floors, and ceilings.

Modular construction offers significant time-savings over conventional site-built construction, which for Raritan Bay meant the opportunity to care for patients nine months ahead of proposed schedules by conventional contractors.

Not long after Raritan Bay chose to build with modular construction, sections of the new emergency room began arriving in New Jersey on flatbed tractor-trailers. Using a crane, each unit of the two-story complex was lifted from the trucks and placed upon the addition's foundation.

Once the units were all in place and secured, a final coat of paint and floor and ceiling moldings were added to interior walls. Outside, a cement finish and brick siding were added to cover exterior walls.

"We researched the original manufacturer of the brick in order to match the brick on Raritan Bay's existing buildings," said Modular Design Technology's Jim Gabriel. "As a result, the addition appears seamless with the rest of the hospital building."

Inside, a spacious waiting room, several admissions stations, and an eye-pleasing color palette greet patients. "We worked hard within the addition to mimic the interior finishes and feel of the existing hospital," Gabriel said. "We wanted a smooth transition from the old to the new, with no clue to as to where the addition begins."

The new waiting room is 50 percent larger than the old one. Outside the waiting room are the standard conveniences including a pay telephone, water fountain, and restrooms. Separate offices for hospital personnel were also included in the expansion. Custom casework and cabinetry is featured throughout the expansion.

A treatment room known as the "fast track" holds a nurses' station and two treatment beds, where patients with minor injuries are treated and released quickly. The modular addition was also built with a self-contained holding area, eight beds, and another nurses' station.

Hospital officials believe the more spacious $1.1 million modular expansion will provide medical personnel the state-of-the-art workspace they need for serving the emergency needs of Perth Amboy. Raritan Bay Medical Center's progress, as well as its physical and technological advancements, continue to pave the way for accomplishments throughout the hospital.