South Florida’s healthcare system is undergoing a profound transformation, and DPR Construction is emerging as one of the key builders driving that progress. From advanced cancer treatment centers to major hospital expansions, the technical builder is helping healthcare providers deliver care more efficiently and closer to home.
At the center of this momentum is DPR’s work on several high-profile regional projects—including the Proton Therapy Treatment Center at Baptist Health in Boca Raton and the South Tower expansion at Broward Health Coral Springs. Together, these projects signal South Florida’s shift toward smaller, specialized, and community-focused healthcare facilities.
For Adrian Barrios, DPR’s local business unit leader, the trend carries both personal and professional weight. “I was born and raised in South Florida,” he says. “I’ve been watching the healthcare community grow around me my entire life.” Barrios adds that an aging population, paired with a growing focus on preventive and accessible care, is reshaping how providers plan their facilities.
“We’re seeing a transformation in healthcare where our providers, administrators, doctors, and nurses are trying to get closer to our communities,” Barrios explains. “The demand is going into outpatient facilities, ambulatory care centers and free standing emergency centers that provide between 50 to 80 percent of what a hospital can accomplish.”
DPR’s versatility allows it to adapt to the unique requirements of each medical project. “Any one healthcare project is its own unique opportunity,” Barrios says. “If it’s never been built before, we try to work with our customers as early as possible, listen to what they need, and offer more predictable opportunities to get projects executed.”
Predictability, he emphasizes, is a foundational part of DPR’s approach. As a self-performing contractor, the company maintains direct control over key trades, allowing teams to better manage quality, scheduling, and onsite coordination.
“We believe a self-performing general contractor has an ability to be predictable in the execution of the work in the field so that we can deliver our projects on time,” he says.
That level of control is especially critical in high-stakes environments such as functioning hospitals. Both the proton therapy center and Coral Springs expansion required construction teams to work within feet of sensitive, active patient areas. Even minor disruptions could affect life-saving procedures.
“In these environments, you have one side that’s an active construction site and the other side that’s critical patient area,” Barrios explains. “Vibration is a huge deal. For example, if an overhead light boom moves even slightly during an operation that could potentially provide an error for the doctor.”
To minimize disruptions, DPR closely aligns construction schedules with hospital operations. “We scheduled any vibration-related work early in the morning, before 7:00 a.m., to avoid disrupting patient care,” Barrios recalls. At the 24/7 Broward Health site, DPR coordinated directly with physicians to understand case schedules and plan work around them.
More than vibration, DPR also manages noise, dust, and patient flow. Noise and vibration monitors track daily activity, while strict dust-control practices—including watering trucks and stabilized gravel pathways—help maintain safe conditions. Wayfinding systems and signage ensure that patients, staff, and emergency vehicles continue to move safely around construction zones.
Many modern medical facilities depend on complex equipment that requires exact placement and seamless integration with electrical, mechanical, and structural systems. Barrios says this requires detailed planning long before crews arrive onsite.
“We believe these medical technologies require a lot of upfront planning,” he says.
To deliver that accuracy, DPR uses Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) tools to create full-scale digital replicas of facilities. “Our VDC team takes the design drawings and builds a virtual model, essentially creating a life-sized digital version of the facility,” Barrios explains. “Down to the three-quarter-inch conduit, we can pinpoint exactly where everything will go.”
This process also ensures MRI systems, proton therapy units, and other specialized devices can be installed efficiently without rework or costly delays.
DPR’s projects extend beyond construction—they reshape how and where patients receive care. Barrios notes that the growing network of ambulatory centers and outpatient sites across South Florida brings treatment closer to neighborhoods.
“These healthcare builds impact the patient experience by being closer to where they are,” he says. “You’re seeing more outpatient and ambulatory facilities right in the communities they serve—so they’re convenient and walkable.” In turn, he adds, this proximity allows patients to address health issues sooner.
Predictability also becomes a moral obligation. “When we delivered the proton therapy treatment facility for Baptist Health South Florida, we knew that if it wasn’t delivered on time, every day that machine wasn’t operating was a day someone wasn’t receiving cancer treatment.”
Looking toward the future, DPR aims to deepen its partnerships with healthcare providers, architects, engineers, and trade contractors, ensuring that the region’s future medical needs are anticipated and met.
“We’re a global enterprise, but we’re also deeply embedded in this community,” Barrios says. “My role is to listen to our clients, understand where our trade partners and design teams are, and ensure that we’re all aligned—one team working toward a shared mission for the healthcare provider.”
Guided by DPR’s “ever forward” mindset, Barrios says the company is prepared to meet the complexities of tomorrow’s medical infrastructure. “We’re always thinking about what’s next, how the industry will evolve, and we’re confident that we’re ready for it.”
Originally reported by Daniel Casciato in South Florida Hospital News.
