HOSPITAL DEDICATES O’CONNELL TOWER

St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center celebrated the grand opening and dedication of its 10-story John T. O’Connell Tower on Feb. 18. The three-year project came in on time and on budget, officials said. The $184 million building encompasses 318,000 square feet of floor space and contains a wide range of innovations in both green construction and medical technology, all with the goal of providing world-class, state-of-the art medical care to the community. The facility doubles the floor space of the Emergency Department and adds 17 state-of-the-art replacement operating rooms, plus hybrid and cardiac rooms as well as dedicated operating and private patient care rooms for the Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute. Occupancy of the tower will begin in phases starting in March, with the facility scheduled to be fully operational by June. Pictured are, from left, Archbishop Henry J. Mansell; Nancy and Dan O’Connell; and Christopher Dadlez, president and CEO, Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center.