Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care

Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care

To focus on better patient care, Massachusetts General Hospital chose to move existing outpatient services within the hospital to a new facility for a more convenient entrance. Designed by Cambridge Seven Architects, the 400,000-square-foot Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care addresses critical space shortages and allows the hospital to consolidate outpatient services with significant service and operational improvements.

The 10-story center consolidates and expanded outpatient programs, including cardiology and ecostress centers; pediatrics; musculoskeletal disorders; women’s health services; and a radiology suite, containing new CAT scan and MRI equipment. In addition, a central component of the new center is an 110,000-square-foot Cancer Center; linked to the latest research in cancer treatment, it will allow the hospital to expand cancer services to meet a growing demand. The Cancer Center programs include breast care, gynecology, brain tumor, gastrointestinal, and other cancer treatments.

FMS was engaged as the project’s EMI Consultant by the project’s architect, Cambridge Seven. A portion of the new center was to be constructed on top of the existing Northeast Proton Therapy Center (NPTC) which houses sensitive patient treatment equipment. Additionally, Level 2 of the new center contains high-voltage electrical facilities which provide power for the new building and distribute feeds to other buildings on the hospital campus. Concern was expressed by MGH and the project team that high levels of EMF from the Level 2 electrical equipment may represent a significant EMI threat risk to operation of the proton-therapy treatment equipment as well as sensitive clinical and diagnostic equipment located in floors above the electrical facilities.

Utilizing extensive 3D computer simulation models, FMS confirmed that EMF levels from the Level 2 electrical facilities were a significant EMI threat risk to the proton therapy equipment and other sensitive equipment in adjacent areas. Utilizing the simulation data, FMS developed and installed a robust shielding scheme in the Level 2 electrical room to mitigate EMI threat conditions to acceptable, low field levels.