Loading...Healthcare has been at the forefront of everyone’s mind for over a year now, but for families with children who are at Children’s Mercy Hospital, healthcare has always been the main focus.
As medical advancements continue to be made, it’s important to make advancements “behind the scenes,” which is exactly what the NECA & IBEW team is doing in Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Research Institute.
As an extension of the hospital, this facility is primarily focused on identifying rare pediatric diseases, but more importantly, trying to find a cure.
This research institute is home to nine stories of labs for researchers, creating a collaborative space where science and medicine come together, uniting physicians and scientists who have a common goal – saving lives. With complex electrical requirements needing to be updated, NECA contractor Electrical Corporation of America (ECA) and IBEW Local 124 were the perfect choice for the job.
Al Christifano, Senior Project Manager at ECA has helped create a strong bond between the hospital, NECA, and the IBEW. “We have a great relationship with the IBEW, not only in Kansas City, but all around the country. We know we’re going to get trained and qualified professionals, regardless of where we are.”
Hospitals and life safety systems are right in this team’s wheelhouse and with a maze of pipes and wires feeding the equipment, they took on this challenge and excelled, creating an electrical system that could distribute power across three buildings.
The work NECA & IBEW did on this project goes beyond the interior; in patterns of the genetic codes of the diseases they’re fighting, when the sun sets the building lights up with more than 1,200 linear feet of LEDs – in a seemingly random set of vertical lights.
It is functional – but also serves as a constant, nightly reminder of the precious work being done inside.
IBEW Local 124 Business Manager, John Fennessy speaks about the personal connection he and his members, as well as the men and women from ECA have to this project, “Being a father of six, it’s very important to be a part of this project. We’re not only building these facilities, we’re using them.”
That’s where the real work starts – helping families, working towards a cure, and providing top-of-the-line care to children around the nation. This work wouldn’t be possible without the help of the powering america team in Kansas City, Missouri.