July 1, 2010 - Harold O’Shea Builders has completed construction on a state-of-the-art, 800-square-foot surgery center at Prairie Eye Center, 2020 W. Iles Ave., in Springfield. The facility, which was built as an addition to the center’s existing 10,000-square-foot-building, includes two operating rooms, a lobby, and pre- and post-operative rooms.
Dr. Sandra Yeh, president and founder of Prairie Eye Center, had long envisioned building a state-of-the-art surgery facility that would provide her patients with a comfortable environment and advanced technology for their outpatient eye surgery needs. Previously, the eye center, which employs 14 doctors at five branches, used the operating rooms at St. John’s Hospital and Memorial Medical Center for such procedures as LASIK and cataract surgeries.
While both hospitals were accommodating and served her practice well for many years, Dr. Yeh wanted to provide her patients with a different type of atmosphere than hospital operating rooms typically offer. A Feng Shui enthusiast, Dr. Yeh worked closely with the architect in designing a space that provided advanced technology while also incorporating natural light, soothing colors and water features. “A relaxed patient is a good patient,” she said.
Next, it was time to bring her vision to fruition. In her search for construction companies, she discovered, “O’Shea Builders came highly, highly recommended as a reputable builder in the health care field.”
It did not take long for Dr. Yeh to see how O’Shea Builders had earned their reputation. During her initial meeting with O’Shea Builders President Mike O’Shea, she immediately recognized his specialized knowledge of medical-type projects and their many complexities. This knowledge and experience would prove to be beneficial throughout the process, and in the end, Dr. Yeh said, “Because of O’Shea Builders’ knowledge of Illinois code and regulations, and their attention to detail, we passed all of our code inspections the first time around.”
Jack Vinson, administrator of Prairie Eye Center, said the O’Shea Builders team was particularly mindful of not disrupting the everyday operations of the eye center during the construction phase. “They were so peaceful and respectful, and if they did have to do something that might be disruptive, they would adjust their schedules to do the work when no one was here.”
Tyler Cormeny, Construction Operations Director for O’Shea Builders, said, “The staff at Prairie Eye Center places a high value on their patients and we worked closely with them to ensure the patient experience was never compromised during the entire construction project. Jim McCann, our on-site superintendent, was key in making sure the day to day activities coordinated with their staff members.”
In addition, the project experienced no delays. “They completed the project right on schedule, exactly when they promised it would be completed,” Dr. Yeh said. And, once the project was finished, O’Shea Builders remained just as responsive to Dr. Yeh’s questions and requests as they did during the construction phase. “We were so impressed by O’Shea Builders’ professionalism and personalized attention throughout the whole process, from planning to implementation to follow-up. Their work is simply unparalleled,” said Dr. Yeh.
