Consulting Engineering
In 2023, Centra Health launched its Facilities Modernization Plan, a multi-year initiative representing the most significant facility improvements and capital investments in the organization’s 36-year history. CMTA is honored to play a key role in this ambitious, multi-year initiative, leading the MEP engineering and technology design, to ensure seamless integration of advanced systems and sustainabile infrastructure. The first phase focuses on revitalizing and expanding Centra’s Lynchburg, Virginia campus, positioning the organization to enhance patient access, improve technology, and elevate critical and specialty care across central Virginia for decades to come.
At the heart of this modernization is the integration of advanced technology systems, designed to position Centra as a leader in patient experience, safety, and operational efficiency. CMTA’s expertise ensures seamless implementation of these systems, including SONIFI’s smart in-room entertainment platform, which enhances patient comfort with bedside access to education, streaming, and interactive content. Connectivity and resiliency are supported by a new, high-capacity fiber backbone and dual fiber pathways connecting to the primary data center, future-proofing the campus for growing bandwidth demands and ensuring continuous uptimes for all clinical and operational systems. Purpose-build data closets feature enhanced cooling capacity, backup power, and vertical scalability to support ongoing technology advancements.
Safety and security are strengthened through the deployment of intelligent gunshot detection and advanced analytics systems, enabling real-time incident detection and response throughout the facility. IP-based video surveillance provides secure remote access and robust campus oversight, while a hospital-wide HUGS Infant Security System integrates with nurse call and access control platforms, offering peace of mind for families and staff. A new Distributed Antenna System ensures reliable cellular coverage for staff communications, public safety teams, and patient families throughout the campus.
Operational efficiency is enhanced through smart building integration using open protocol technology, allowing for interoperability among building management, lighting, and energy systems. A precision-driven Real-Time Location System (RTLS) supports asset tracking, staff safety, and workflow efficiency. Patient rooms are technology-ready, prewired for telehealth, smart displays, and bedside nurse documentation systems. All systems are carefully coordinated for seamless integration with Centra’s existing IT infrastructure, maximizing continuity while minimizing disruption.
In partnership with CMTA, Centra is undertaking an ambitious 200,000 SF addition to its existing 600,000 SF campus without increasing total energy consumption. Advanced geothermal HVAC strategies, designed to serve both the expansion and the existing campus, incorporate rightsizing and heat recovery measures—reducing air handling capacity by over 20% and saving more than $2 million in initial costs. A thorough analysis of plant loads has optimized the performance of new chillers and maximized existing redundancy, while the installation of a 300-ton heat recovery chiller and a 300-ton water-to-water geothermal heat pump establishes a new benchmark for energy efficiency. This new infrastructure positions Centra to benefit from federal clean energy tax credits, with estimated returns exceeding $10 million.
Scheduled for completion in 2027, the facility will be the first acute care inpatient hospital in Virginia to deploy a geothermal-coupled HVAC system. Centra Health’s Facilities Modernization Plan, guided by CMTA’s expertise, blends state-of-the-art technology and sustainable design to enhance patient care, public safety, operational resilience, and energy efficiency—setting a new standard for healthcare delivery in the region.
