Construction:
The snows of February were a real challenge to the OCC project team. Getting to work was difficult if not impossible on several days. Frigid conditions brought some aspects of the project to a temporary standstill because some materials, like masonry, cannot be worked with in freezing temperatures. But according to project supervisor Leonard Copeland of Bovis Lend Lease, subcontractors on the job and the entire project team are making up the time lost. "We've got a lot cut out for us but we'll make it," he said.

Here's a glance at this week's construction schedule:

• Workers began installing the Exterior Finish Insulating System (EFIS), which creates a tan-colored band at the top of the building.
• 75 percent of the windows are now in place.
• On the 1st floor, 75 percent of the ductwork is completed. Copper shielding for the MRI is being put in place.
• On the 2nd floor, workers were hanging ceiling grid and priming walls for painting.
• On the 3rd floor, workers began hanging drywall.
• The sprinkler and fire protection systems on the 2nd and 3rd floors have been installed and were tested by the manufacturer and local authorities. Installation of safety systems on the 1st floor began this week.

Design:
Exterior signage proposals were reviewed by the Albemarle County Architectural Review Board, for the visual and aesthetic impact along the major entrance corridor Route 250. Work continues with the signage firm Corbin on directional signage along interior roadways and parking lots, as well as wayfinding signage inside the building.

Operations:
Martha Jefferson Hospital's outpatient Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation program and outpatient Physical and Occupational Therapy will find a new home on the 2nd floor of the OCC, next to the Outpatient Surgery Center. Together, Cardiopulmonary Rehab and PT/OT will gain efficiencies and provide more comprehensive patient care. Cardiopulmonary Rehab is currently operating out of ACAC Fitness and Wellness Center in Albemarle Square, and PT/OT is located in the Cardwell Center of the Hospital. Both services will share 10,000 sq. ft., more than doubling the amount of space they currently have. Both staffs are looking forward to working together, and patients will enjoy spectacular views from the 2nd floor windows as they exercise and receive therapy.