The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville is the home of the Corps of Engineers’ Medical Facilities Mandatory Center of Expertise and Standardization, which is located at the Humphreys Engineer Center in Alexandria, Virginia.
The Medical Facilities MCX partners with the USACE project delivery team, regional divisions, geographic districts and stakeholders to provide healthcare engineering expertise and the highest quality medical and medical research facility life cycle support to the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs and other federal agencies and foreign governments.
As part of the Huntsville Center, the Medical Facilities MCX responds to our traditional stakeholders’ needs as well as those of the Army and the nation. The Medical Facilities MCX was central in the COVID-19 response for Alternate Care Site guidance and remains ready to support future mission requirements. The DOD Medical program funds the planning, construction, and operation of Army, Air Force and Navy medical and medical research facilities through the Defense Health Agency.
Since originally directed by Congress and established in 1978, the Medical Facilities MCX has the responsibility to develop medical design and construction policies, technical guidance, procedures, criteria, specifications and standards that integrate medically unique design, construction and operational requirements. The Medical Facilities MCX currently supports 25 active and future DOD military medical projects in planning, design or construction, with a combined value of $3.1 billion.
In 2016, the Medical Facilities MCX’s responsibilities were formally expanded to include a similar role supporting the USACE mission to execute project delivery for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Partnering with USACE Headquarters, the MSCs geographic districts and the DVA Office of Construction and Facilities Management, the MCX is supporting the acquisition, design and construction of 40 ongoing and future major medical treatment facilities, valued at $16 billion.
Use of the Medical Facilities MCX is mandatory for all medical projects per the latest Center of Expertise Recertification and USACE Engineering Regulation 1110-345-721. The ER 1110-345-721 also includes the requirement to incorporate the MCX in review of Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization, and Non- Recurring Maintenance Projects and the requirement to promote lessons learned throughout the enterprise.
The Medical Facilities MCX’s highly experienced professional staff supports the development of acquisition strategies, schedules, comprehensive management plans and scopes of work for architect engineer services and other medically unique submittal requirements. The Medical Facilities MCX provides medically unique technical support and leadership in developing concept designs and provides technical review expertise throughout the design process. During construction, the Medical Facilities MCX assists with technical evaluation of construction changes or concerns, to ensure compliance with policy and criteria unique to medical facilities, and assists with commissioning, accreditation and activation activities.
With federal, industry and academic partners, the Medical Facilities MCX develops codes, criteria and standards for medical facilities in support of the nation. The MCX executes yearly technical post occupancy evaluations, share lessons learned and research emergent technologies with partners in academia. We ensure criteria facilitates world class medical treatment while enabling the Corps’ district project delivery processes and business model.
Since its inception, the Medical Facilities MCX has supported approximately 500 medical treatment or medical research facility projects totaling more than $20 billion in design and construction costs. An unprecedented record of delivering high quality with many facilities recognized with national design awards from The American Institute of Architects, Modern Health Care Magazine, the Secretary of Defense, the Air Force, the Army and the Army Corps of Engineers. Currently, the office continues to prove worth by adding value to missions of public health, emergency response and contingency support.
Download the Medical Facilities MX Fact Sheet (PDF)