In the making since 2014, the expansion and remodel project at Ministry Saint Clare’s Hospital, part of Ascension, took another step forward this month when the project team installed a 70,000-pound hyperbaric chamber on January 11, 2017. The arrival of the equipment required months of planning and extensive concrete and steel work before the placement of the chamber.

With a lead time of two years to build, the hyperbaric chamber was manufactured in Australia then shipped to the United States where it was trucked to the hospital in Weston, WI. Once it arrived, the actual pick and placement took about 20 minutes. With help from our subcontractor SPE and manufacturer Fink Engineering, the chamber was placed on Level 1 with the supporting equipment on the level below. The team then placed steel deck on top of the building to enclose the chamber.

This treatment controls atmospheric pressure so the patient can breathe 100% oxygen in the chamber, assisting in overall healing.