05/07/2026
During , AldrichVKP is proud to highlight Superintendent Chris Stearns and his safety approach. For Chris, safety is more than a daily safety checklist and toolbox talks. He takes a people-focused and relational approach where genuine respect, clear communication, and real connection are key to delivering a positive and accident-free project experience for everyone involved.
Chris has led construction of some of our most notable and critically challenging acute care projects. Award-winning projects including Harborview Medical Center’s Hybrid Biplane OR, which won a national Design-Build Institute of America Award in 2020, and the St. Joseph Medical Center Level III NICU was recognized for excellence in safety in 2021 with an AGC Build Washington Award. He also recently celebrated his 10-year anniversary with AldrichVKP!
A strong example of and how relationships support project safety, Chris shared a story from the St. Joseph Medical Center NICU project. “This one was an emotional challenge because we were working around babies who were born premature. So small, they were weighed in grams, not pounds, and the families we met were stressed, to say the least.”
The project team met every morning with the nursing staff and doctors to communicate daily and upcoming construction activities. This was especially important when preparing for disruptive work like concrete core drilling and floor grinding. “At the second meeting, they showed us these tiny earmuffs for the little ones; they were about the size of a silver dollar.” It put into perspective for Chris and the team the delicate nature of working adjacent to the smallest of acute care patients. “We truly built trust, friendships, and become part of their care team. We treated them as our biggest partner and ally.”
Thank you Chris, and all AldrichVKP team members, for being on safety on every project, every day!
Read about Chris's journey with AldrichVKP: https://www.aldrich-vkp.com/news/superintendent-chris-stearns-celebrated-10-years-building-trust-valuable-friendships-along-the-way