“No one can build you the bridge on which you must cross the river of life, no one but yourself.”  Nietsche

“When a woman learns to stand alone, she doesn’t just survive–she transforms.  The strength she finds in silence becomes the light that guides her forward.”  Avneesh Perada

“There is a world out there.  Open a window and it is there.”  Robin Williams

Last week I had the opportunity to visit first hand the new BJC/WashU Campus Renewal project that has been the talk of the design and construction town for many years now.  I saw the excellent painting work of BTD Construction, the carpentry work of Sledroc, the electrical work of JWest Electrical, the flooring work of Carr Flooring and The Floor Doctor, and the many quality touches of so many good firms I know well.

I was truly impressed and it made me proud to be part of the design and construction industry in St. Louis, Missouri.  Too often we design and build beautiful buildings and never get to experience the inner workings of the finished spaces.  We just trust that they work well and our little piece fits in well with the millions of other pieces that made up the finished product. 

As I looked around my private room on the 11th floor of the new patient tower—which overlooked all of Forest Park with Clayton rising in the background—I was reminded of the complexity of designing and building state-of-the-art hospitals.  This room was designed to serve the patient and it was built by skilled workers that clearly understood the nuances of constructing medical buildings.  We are fortunate in St. Louis to have a medical complex such as the BJC/WashU campus and we are fortunate to have the experienced architects, engineers, GCs and trade contractors to make these complex projects happen.  As members of the design and construction community, we should all be proud.

Physically, it was a tough week for me but the experience was made tolerable, even enjoyable, by the excellent, professional care of the doctors and nurses, aides, and staff that took my hand from the very first day and never let go.  The nursing care was beyond excellent and I felt as safe and protected and as comfortable as one could possibly feel following spinal surgery.  I was treated as if I was a celebrity of sorts, staying in a five star hotel on Hollywood Boulevard.  I had a different nurse and nurses aide every day and each seemed to outperform the other, and I loved the diversity.  Never did I feel rushed or that time mattered over the desire to care for my personal and medical needs.  I commend the management of BJC for creating this positive healing environment; care like I experienced throughout the four days of my stay simply has to come from the top.

Our work matters.  For the staff of BJC to do their work, physical space is needed and that space needs to work.  From my very limited perspective, this building works very well, designed and built by local firms.  Our design and construction work has set the pace for excellent care; in fact it almost demands excellent care.  Many on my PEOPLE and WBEDC lists played a part in the success of this complex and of course, continue to play a part.  On behalf of one “end-user” I thank you for that.

Let us all continue to show the world that St. Louis firms can perform and can deliver.  My personal thanks to BJC and WashU for bucking the trend and supporting our industry, strengthening our marketplace, and doing their part to deliver healthcare that is beyond excellent.

And my personal thanks to all my friends for their thoughts, prayers, and love.  I am home resting and recovering in the care of my favorite nurse.  While I feel a bit of pain and discomfort, mostly I feel grateful and hopeful and looking forward to another run at life.

PEOPLE and WBEDC

Ron