On April 6, Grande Ronde Hospital celebrated a milestone in the construction process of our new 96,000 sq. ft. building. Members of the GRH Family and Team Bouten gathered on the site to watch as the final “Topping Out” structural beam was flown into place. We are especially grateful to the amazing crane operator and experienced ironworkers as it was securely positioned in place despite the day’s heavy wind gusts.

GRH President and CEO Jeremy Davis kicked off the ceremony by welcoming those who had gathered with a reminder of how far we have come, how much has been accomplished, and what this new facility will mean to the people of Union County. Over the past year, we have witnessed a lot of earth moving, utilities rerouting, rebar tying, concrete pouring, soldier pile drilling to build a strong foundation for what comes next.

While most of us had never heard of Topping Out tradition and ceremony, this is something the good folks at Bouten Construction have done many times. Rooted in ancient Scandinavian building rites, Topping Out ceremonies are still observed today — particularly by iron workers like those who built our steel beam structure for us. We embraced the idea to not only honor the workers, but to give our employees an opportunity to make their mark forever within the structure.

To find out more about the project, visit “Facilities Expansion” on the Grande Ronde Hospital and Clinics website.