Riverside Walter Reed Hospital in Gloucester held a topping out ceremony Friday to mark the completion of steel erection for the Intensive Care Unit expansion and the new J. Doswell Dutton Family Care Center. Employee health prevention coordinator Susan Haden, left, served refreshments to service line chief Dr. Gregg Shivers, while workers were at their posts nearby. Photo by Bill Nachman

A topping out ceremony was held at Riverside Walter Reed Hospital in Gloucester on Friday afternoon to mark completion of the major steel work being done as part of construction on a 12,000-square-foot modern Intensive Care Unit.

Not only does this mark an important stage in the project, which is projected to be completed before the end of 2012, hospital administrator Megan Kleckner said, but also was an opportunity to thank the many staff members who have had input into the project and the dozens of construction workers who have been doing the work.

In addition, Kleckner said that the celebration, which included brief remarks by hospital and project officials and refreshments served under a tent, was being held partly to recognize the fact that no major accidents had occurred during construction—a trend she hopes will continue through completion of the project.

Under an ideal timeframe, Kleckner said, Thanksgiving dinner might be served to patients in the new ICU. However, Riverside project manager Marlon Anderson said that more likely construction will be completed in November and patients may be moved into the new facility in December.

Construction is also underway for the J. Doswell Dutton Family Care Center, a 900-square-foot facility at Walter Reed which will serve family and friends of patients requiring extended stays at the hospital.

The new ICU addition will cost approximately $5 million, Kleckner said, which will include expanded space and new equipment. The family center will cost $200,000: a $100,000 bequest was from the Dutton family and $100,000 paid for by private contributions.

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