The exterior of the building prepares the public and patient for the services provided within. In this holistic medicine approach, the visual presentation is very important. The building has been designed based on the unique needs of this expanded cluster of medical services. The interior clinical needs drive the central spine layout, with the public entry as the focus. The public enters a central and perceivable entry/lobby/waiting space, with each clinical module feeding from this center public spine. The elevated entry portal makes this welcoming entry more approachable for a nervous patient and provides architectural focus. This entry ties into the Community Room and the Healing Garden. The Healing Garden is where a patient or family member can separate from their medical concerns. The overall layout allows staff to traverse the entire clinic in an ‘off-stage’ perimeter area, without going into the public space. This allows medical support to move seamlessly to the patient, as opposed to moving the patient.
The building is designed around two distinctively different service lines: a full service health center as the primary entry, and a WIC (Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) service center and store. These are separated from the clinic public entry, but merged in the staff support areas.
This high tech multi-service medical facility is based on the leading edge of integrated medical service systems designed within the PACT (Patient Aligned Care Team) protocols, using a Lean problem solving approach to create this prototype clinic. This is blended with sustainable design solutions, including LEED Certification. This is constructed within normal medical clinic costs, focusing resources in the public arrival and support areas. The facility integrates Urgent Care, Specialty Care Units, Behavioral Health, a Laboratory, Imaging, and a Pharmacy into a cohesive delivery system. When a patient arrives, all their needs are addressed in one visit. This is supplemented with the WIC services through a separate public entry.
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