When Franciscan Health and Beacon Health System collaborated on a new hospital in La Porte, Tonn and Blank Construction had the challenge of renovating and adding on to the existing Beacon Medical Group facility.
That work was recognized as Project of the Year award at the annual award ceremony held in partnership between the Construction Advancement Foundation (CAF) and the Northwest Indiana Business Roundtable (NWIBR). The banquet, which celebrates the most outstanding achievements in construction and safety over the past year, was held on Thursday, Aug. 19, at Avalon Manor in Merrillville.
“First and foremost, we want to thank the Construction Advancement Foundation of Northwest Indiana for taking the time to recognize construction innovation,” said Tonn and Blank President and CEO Jon Gilmore. “To be acknowledged by CAF for the Commercial Project of the Year is incredibly gratifying to Tonn and Blank Construction. Our talented, dedicated team is always looking to improve outcomes on every project, so it’s great to take a moment to study and celebrate our successful endeavor with Franciscan Beacon Hospital.”
In its unique role as the program manager and design builder for the new partnership, Tonn and Blank was responsible for taking the lead on design, owner furnished furniture and equipment, medical equipment and construction. This was done as staff and patients continued to use the facility throughout construction. Tonn and Blank practiced “Safety Beyond Compliance” to create an incident-free jobsite.
Franciscan Health Michigan City President and CEO Dean Mazzoni said, “Tonn and Blank managed, not one, but two owners through the unique structure of this joint ventured partnership. They were responsive, regularly communicating, and kept the project safe, on time and on budget despite the significant challenges of the pandemic at the time. They built an incredible health care facility for the LaPorte community and we are excited for their well-deserved recognition through this award.”
“We are appreciative of the diligence, dedication and professionalism that the Tonn and Blank team demonstrated throughout construction,” said Diane Maas, Franciscan Beacon Hospital Board Chair. “Our new hospital has given our organizations the opportunity to reach more patients in the La Porte community, expanding their convenient access to high-quality, personal health care. Thank you, Tonn and Blank, for making this project a success.”
The size of the 92,500-square-foot facility, which opened in July 2020, allows patients access to high quality care on a more personal basis. It includes a 24-hour, 10-bed Emergency Department, eight inpatient beds for overnight care with nursing station, laboratory services, an on-staff pharmacist, physical therapy, telehealth connectivity and the latest imaging and diagnostic equipment.
“We are thankful to have worked with such a wonderful joint venture team, Franciscan Health and Beacon Health – the success of our partners is our success. To our employees and subcontractors – thank you for being proactive and dependable. You helped us follow through on our commitments every step of the way,” Gilmore added.
Headquartered in Michigan City with multiple locations throughout Indiana, Tonn and Blank Construction is a leading, full-service construction management, general contracting, and design-build firm that has served the Midwest region for nearly a century. Established in 1922, Tonn and Blank remains at the forefront of healthcare, industrial, religious and commercial construction.
Franciscan Beacon Hospital is located at 1010 W. State Road 2 in LaPorte. For more information, go online at FranciscanBeaconHospital.org or call (219) 575-6700.