Topping-Out Ceremony Held for New Hospital

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Under sunny skies, a nearly 300 people gathered Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at the construction site for the Western Maryland Health System's new hospital on Willowbrook Road to watch as the highest pieces of the steel structure were set into place. Known as a topping-out ceremony, this event is a long-standing tradition among construction workers, particularly ironworkers.

"We are truly excited to celebrate this significant milestone in our building project," said Barry P. Ronan, WMHS President and CEO. "The placement of the highest beam in the steel structure comes less than one year after ground was broken for the new hospital."

Steelwork for the new seven-story hospital began in mid-June, when over 3600 tons of steel started arriving on more than 200 flatbed trucks. In less than four months, over 7500 pieces of steel and 75,000 bolts were used to form the steel structure for the new facility.

"We had anticipated hosting a topping-out ceremony in late November and are especially pleased that the work has progressed ahead of schedule and the highest point was reached so early," Ronan added.

During the ceremony, the five highest beams were hoisted. Four of these beams were painted white signed by the construction team and WMHS employees, physicians, volunteers, board members, and donors to leave their mark on WMHS history and remain part of its future.

Attached to the beams were the customary symbols that can be traced back to the ancient Scandinavian practice of placing a tree on the top of a new building to ensure the fertility of the land and the home. This tradition eventually came to America and was adopted by ironworkers as a way to celebrate a job well done.

Today's workers attach an evergreen tree to symbolize that the project has proceeded well and to serve as a good luck charm for the future occupants of the building. A broom is added to represent a clean sweep for safety, meaning that the steelwork reached the highest point without serious injury or loss of life. To symbolize patriotism, an American flag adorns the top beam.

"We are not only celebrating the superb work of the construction team, but also the realization of our vision for the future of healthcare in our community," commented M. Kathryn Burkey, chair of the WMHS Board of Directors. "In just two more years, our patients will have access to our comprehensive range of services in one convenient, modern medical complex that will serve generations to come."

The new 585,000-square foot hospital is scheduled to open in 2009. All of the diagnostic and treatment areas will be on the first three floors, mechanical systems will be on the fourth floor, and floors five through seven will be the patient tower with 275 beds.