By WHITNEY JOHNSON, Vice President, Hospital Operations, Allina Health
Care teams at Allina Health’s new Richard M. Schulze Surgical and Critical Care Center will welcome their first patients on August 29. This 620,000-square-foot facility is the centerpiece of the Abbott Northwestern Hospital campus revitalization project, which also included upgrades to 10th Avenue, an energy-efficient Central Utility Plant (CUP) and the Purple Ramp. None of this would be possible without the support of the Phillips community and the generous donors of the Allina Health Foundation.
“We’ve been here for more than 140 years, and this is the next step in providing healthcare to this community and being a good neighbor to this community for another century,” said Tony LaCroix-Dalluhn, vice president, Facilities Management, Allina Health.
The 10-floor center includes 30 operating rooms designed to enhance safety and support advanced technology, including an intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) system that can move between two surgery suites. There are 190 single-occupancy patient rooms, each equipped with a ceiling lift and space for accessibility equipment. Rooms also include a pullout couch so families can stay comfortably with their loved ones.
Design elements throughout the building support healing. Local artwork is incorporated throughout, and a rooftop garden on the fifth level provides fresh air for patients, families and care team members while remaining accessible to the Intensive Care Unit.
“We’ve been talking with the Community and collaborating with the Community for more than six years when it comes to this project,” said Alison Pence, director, Community Engagement, Allina Health. “We’ve been taking information from them and have been constructing based on what the community told us.”
Completed in 2022, the Purple Ramp on 28th Street serves as a transportation hub for patients, visitors and staff. It includes 3,000 parking spaces, electric vehicle charging stations, bike storage and a solar garden. More than 2,000 solar panels generate nearly 1.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, with the majority returned to the Community through energy credits for about 150 households.
The revitalization also enhanced 10th Avenue with the creation of an additional access point into the campus and improved lighting. A local artist also hand painted a mural that is visible from the sidewalk. These improvements help ease congestion on 28th Street while improving the pedestrian experience.
Another key element is the upgraded Central Utility Plant (CUP). The CUP replaces outdated 1950s-era equipment with newer, more efficient systems. As a combined heat and power facility, it captures heat produced during operation and reuses it within the hospital, reducing energy waste. The Central Utility Plant generates steam for Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Children’s Minnesota and other neighbors. The steam is used to sterilize medical instruments and heat the buildings.
The project also created new career opportunities. Through Mortensen’s Community Workforce Program, individuals with no prior construction experience were trained on-site and gained skills to begin careers in the industry.
The Schulze Building represents the next chapter of the campus revitalization, combining innovation, patient-centered design and Community-informed details.
“People really wanted to have a safe and comfortable spot to be outside on campus,” said LaCroix-Dalluhn. “We did everything possible to create a place where we can deliver state-of-the-art care while enjoying spaces like our Founders Mall and a cafeteria that includes a woodfire pizza oven, a coffee shop and a 24/7 grab-and-go area.”
The Abbott Northwestern Hospital Campus represents a shared investment between Allina Health and the Community – an investment in care, connection and the future.
None of this would be possible without the support of the Phillips community and the generous donors of the Allina Health Foundation.
“We’ve been here for more than 140 years, and this is the next step in providing healthcare to this community and being a good neighbor to this community for another century,” said Tony LaCroix-Dalluhn, vice president, Facilities Management, Allina Health.
“We’ve been talking with the Community and collaborating with the community for more than six years when it comes to this project,” said Alison Pence, director, Community Engagement, Allina Health.
“We’ve been taking information from them and have been constructing based on what the community told us.
”More than 2,000 solar panels generate nearly 1.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, with the majority returned to the Community through energy credits for about 150 households.
The project also created new career opportunities. Through Mortensen’s Community Workforce Program, individuals with no prior construction experience were trained on-site and gained skills to begin careers in the industry.
The Abbott Northwestern Hospital Campus represents a shared investment between Allina Health and the Community – an investment in care, connection and the future.
