An employee with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Omaha District and native of Chicago, was recognized for his accomplishments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ryan Field, senior program manager, Special Projects Branch, was named USACE Hero of the Week during the month of July.
As part of his mission, Field led a project delivery team in completing a build-out plan and mockup of patient pods and nurses’ stations assigned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the Kalispell Regional Hospital in Montana.
Before the project began construction, the team was already beating milestones set in place.
“We had contractors on-site within 12 hours of the contract being awarded instead of 24,” Field said. “The mockup of the patient pod and nurses’ station was completed within two days of the start of the project and we had the build-out plan submitted within five days instead of seven.”
Working on empty bays of concrete walls and exposed beams, the team had to figure out a way to construct a facility that would accommodate 109 patients.
“The floors were completely empty, not even a wall or utility in place,” Field said. “Almost equally as challenging was having to work on the third floor and build out an entire patient care area without the use of any freight elevators to bring up framing, drywall, plumbing, wiring or fixtures. Everything was lifted through a window which was removed from the third floor”
“Ryan was instrumental in the planning, development, and award of the Kalispell Regional Medical Center, and alternate care facility in Kalispell, Montana,” said Col. Mark Himes, commander, Omaha District. “He traveled to Kalispell and led the on-site construction for pharmacy areas, seven nurses’ stations, 109 patient care spaces, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliant restrooms in a 26,250 square foot space with no utilities and no freight elevators. In just 21 days the ACF was turned over to the state of Montana for use.”
Field accredited much of the mission’s success to the project’s development team.
“The team at Kalispell including the contractor, the subcontractor, construction office, contracting office, emergency management at Omaha, special projects branch, real estate, office of council, public affairs, rapid response program and all of the administrative staff who worked with us made this a success,” Field said.