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A Partnership at the Heart of a Children’s Hospital

Building a hospital is a matter of life and death.

Over the years, hundreds of thousands of patients and families will place their absolute trust in the doctors, nurses, technicians, and staff whose job it is to save lives. But every patient and family member must also place their trust in an unseen host of construction crews, craftsmen, designers, and supervisors whose job it was to build the hospital according to the guidelines that are needed to ensure the safety and security of each resident.

“To take a shortcut with a hospital, and potentially put lives in jeopardy, you just can not do it,” said Keith Sitzman, project executive with Skanska. Keith was referring not only to the lives and wellbeing of the crews on the construction site but more fundamentally to the folks who would soon be seeking medical care at the facility.

Methodist Hospital, San Antonio, Texas

The facility in question was Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. Skanska served as general contractor on the project, with Mr. Sitzman leading the effort. Skanska brought FSG in as the San Antonio electrical construction contractor for the project. Keith and Skanska found working with FSG to be both easy and productive.

“I think with Skanska and FSG, we both understand that safety is really important. And it’s not just the safety of our folks on the job site, but it’s more the safety of the people in the hospital,” he went on to say. “It’s so important that everything is taken seriously and done safely so that everyone goes home at the end of the day.”

“To take a shortcut with a hospital, and potentially put lives in jeopardy, you just can not do it.”

Keith Sitzman, Skanska

FSG joined this project in its earliest phases, designing and constructing the complete electrical system for the entire hospital campus. Thanks to Skanska, FSG, and their close partnership, what had been scheduled as a 54-month effort was completed in just 48 months.

“FSG knocked it out of the park. There were a lot of challenges, a lot of changes on a project this complex,” Keith said. “Working through different obstacles with the [hospital’s] owner and the design team was fairly seamless.”

Just as the tradespeople on a construction site must be able to communicate quickly and effectively in order to do their best (and safest) work, so too must the general contractor be able to communicate quickly and effectively with their subcontractors. The relationship between Skanska and FSG was perfect in this regard, as Keith said.

“I’ve worked with FSG on several different projects,” he said. “FSG brings the right people to the projects to make sure they’re successful. If there ever is an issue or a problem, it’s a phone call to say, ‘Hey, we need some help with something.’”

FSG & Skanska Partnership

FSG is proud not only of the work we contributed to Methodist Children’s Hospital but also of our relationship with Skanska. The trust and equitable partnership we’ve built together is a testament to more than just a successful construction project. It’s a testament to the quality of individuals in both companies, individuals who are always prepared to go the extra mile and who would never take risks or shortcuts with a job as vital as building a hospital.

Methodist Children’s Hospital will serve untold numbers of children and their families throughout the years. Knowing that the buildings and systems around them have been built to the highest standards grants those families an unspoken peace of mind which allows them to focus on the health and lives of their loved ones.

Whether you’re interested in electrical construction or lighting upgrade in a hospital or pioneering a new lighting system in a nationwide group of medical facilities, FSG is here for you.

Give us a call at 1 (512) 615-6615 or email us today. We will do whatever it takes to meet your lighting and electrical needs, with your customers in mind.

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