Culturally significant public health

After Hurricanes Irma and Maria severely damaged the Charles Harwood Medical Center Complex, the Department of Health's ability to serve residents of St. Croix and the U.S. Virgin Islands was greatly compromised. FEMA concluded that a full replacement was necessary, leading to the development of the new Donna M. Christian Christensen MD Health Center.

The DOH engaged Flad to design a cutting-edge public health and wellness facility that offers centralized administrative and regulatory services for the territory, as well as optimal patient care services and educational opportunities to everyone who seeks healthcare on the island and in the territory. Recognizing the importance of stability, the design focuses on sustainability, redundancy, and resilience. Garnering community and stakeholder perspectives was foundational to the design process and critical in designing a culturally significant, leading-edge facility. Working closely with DOH leadership and our local architectural partners, the team brought community members and key stakeholders together to understand their needs, vision, and criteria for strength and stability for this unique and impactful recovery project.

The innovative, 122,000-square-foot replacement complex will offer a full range of wellness and medical services including a teaching kitchen, conference facilities, clinics, dentistry, behavioral health, and other vital health and wellness services in a warm, modern environment with advanced equipment and technology. It will house resources to support public health needs, including regulatory and other administrative services for the broader territory. This also includes education and conference spaces dedicated to community learning, awareness, and engagement.

Ultimately, the new DOH facility will be a centralized hub that the community can rely on during moments of vulnerability, while the structure itself will demonstrate strength and resilience for generations to come.