The team at Providence Health Center – Reed’s Crossing recently placed the last structural beam and celebrated topping out. The new facility is being constructed at the front entryway to Reed’s Crossing, a new master-planned community dedicated to the health, wellness and happiness of its residents in Hillsboro, Oregon. The project, aimed to be a progressive facility focusing on population health management, will link healthcare services with fitness, wellness and self-care.

“Providence is honored to partner with Seavest, Mortenson Development, and Mortenson Construction to bring the area’s first medically integrated health and wellness center to Reed’s Crossing and South Hillsboro,” says Kerrie Bartel-Christensen, Vice President Real Estate Strategy and Operations, Providence. “As we move beyond the iterative treatment of disease to focus on population health, Providence Health Center-Reed’s Crossing will give our patients a connected and comprehensive plan for wellness. We would like to thank Mortenson and Seavest for helping us turn our vision into reality.”

The tradition of placing a ceremonial tree atop the final beam and ‘topping out’ dates back thousands of years, with some accounts tracking the first known instance to ancient Egypt following the completion of the first pyramid. A more widespread practice can be traced to Scandinavia, where a tree was placed at the highest point of a new structure to appease tree-dwelling spirits. As more buildings are made with steel, oftentimes the final beam is signed by those involved with the project, along with the tree placement and a flag.

This celebration signified both an incredible milestone for the project, as well as the celebration of zero job site injuries. Congratulations to the project team and all those involved!

Read more about the project here.