Laura
Greenwood
Finding Common Ground in the Healthcare Setting
Project Background
YEAR: FALL 2019 - Senior Year
LENGTH: 10 WEEKS
PROGRAMS & SKILLS: Revit, Photoshop, Space Planning, Research, Communication, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking
LOCATION: Tallahassee, FL
CONCEPT: Common Ground
PROJECT SIZE: 20,928 SF
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The FSU Primary Care Clinic is projected to double in size within the next few years. The new clinic will also double the footprint of the current facility, increasing the number of exam rooms, procedure rooms, and consultation rooms. There will also be room for expansion of current spaces like a conference room, laboratory, team work space, waiting rooms and a Community Room.
The goal of this project is to create a clinic that is comfortable and welcoming to the patients. The location of the current clinic was chosen based on demographic, and what part of the community was in the most need of a “one stop” clinic where multiple medical services are offered in one place. Patient well-being both inside the clinic and in the community is important to the clinical staff. Because of this, the design focuses on bringing the community in and welcoming them into the space both with technical design features and with elements like local art.
This clinic was designed with the concept Common Ground. The ideal clinic is a common ground for knowledge, and accommodating the needs for both patients and staff. In order to accomplish this, there had to be an understanding of the different user groups and their varying needs. Considerations of both these users were made throughout the design process to create a balance between the efficiency staff members need to perform tasks, and the comfort patients need to experience. While some spaces are designed just for staff, or just for patients, rooms like the exam rooms are often occupied by both parties at the same time, becoming a common ground within the clinic.
FLOORPLAN
Circulation and traffic flow are important to the design of the floor-plan. A goal for the space was to create a separate circulation path for staff and patients, ultimately adding to efficiency of the clinic, and protecting sensitive information of the patients. This is achieved by centering most of the staff spaces in the core of the footprint, allowing them to be centrally located. This design leaves the space around it as hallways, making separate visitor and patient paths, so patients never pass near areas private information is kept. The common ground is where staff and patients meet, these include exam rooms, procedure rooms, behavior counseling and consultation rooms. In these spaces there needs to be a balance between staff and patient needs.
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A few features to take notice of:
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Angular walls in the reception guide users into to space, while organic flooring transitions guide users from waiting areas to paths of travel.
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A centrally located Medical Team Area, which is an open work space, in both wings for staff members. These areas are adjacent to both exam rooms and clean and soiled supply closets.
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The staff lounge and locker room. These spaces are separate but near each other for efficiency in breaks and clocking in and out. The staff restroom off of the locker room includes a shower to contribute to LEED points.
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Procedure rooms are located against the Medical Team Areas, it was designed this way so a window could be included allowing staff to keep an eye on patients who just had a procedure or need an extra eye.
THE RECEPTION AND WAITING AREA
As the first thing visitors see, the reception and waiting spaces set the tone of the clinical space. This area is designed to welcome the community, and make them feel comfortable. Reception and waiting are combined as one space, because of this the flooring and ceiling act as visual cues to indicate where the waiting space is and traffic through the reception is located
Overall, this area of the clinic serves to keep patients calm while they wait for their appointment. Through materials, furniture and positive distractions, the reception and waiting room invite visitors in and make them feel comfortable knowing the place was designed for their benefit.
Water Fall Feature
Clinical visits can be a stressful situation for anyone of any age. To relieve some of the anxiety that comes with waiting for your name to be called, the waiting room features a water wall, that provides a calming sound within the space by bringing in the natural element of water.
Children's' Area
Kids have the option of taking part in the children’s area, a place where kids can wait in a relaxed zone with a variety of positive distractions like TV, toys, drawing, and books that they can take home thanks to the clinic’s system of encouraging reading.
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This elevation shows the custom bookcase, modular children furniture and chalkboard paint on the walls.
BETTERING THE COMMUNITY
This clinic is designed to offer patients a relief from the stress that can come with going to the doctors. Every area they interact with was designed to make their experience comfortable, enjoyable, and safe. This was achieved with the use of colors that are known to relax and lower anxiety, materials that are easy to clean and comfortable, and way-finding.
The clinic is a place where visitors should feel comfortable, both inside the exam room and in other spaces, like behavior counseling, consolation rooms, the waiting area, and the community room.
The community room is a place for gathering. The community and the clinic work together to hold educational classes on subjects like nutrition, cooking, health and more. This space is designed to be unique and inviting, a place where people want to come.
The clinic location was chosen to be in an area that lacked medical serves. The current location, which is located just in front of the future location, serves a population of low socio-economic status. Because of this it is important that the clinic offers a range of services to their patients and the community.
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Consultation rooms where visitors can meet with a professional about health insurance, financial options or other business and health related subjects, are available in private locations within the clinic.
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The Behavioral Counseling Rooms are areas patients and professionals can have one-on-one or family meetings about a concern, or problem they may be feeling. This space is designed to be more home-like, so patients feel comfortable during interaction.
BEHAVIORAL COUNSELING ELEVATION
THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
PATIENT HALLWAY ELEVATION
On the outermost corridor of each wing are the exam rooms. The circulation is designed so patients never have to enter the staff hallways, and the staff can work efficiently between patients and storing their information.
Hallways are color coded in both the patient and staff pathways. A typical patient hall can be see in the elevation.
The Exam Room
The exam room is the common ground for the staff and patients. This area is most commonly occupied by both users and has to meet both of their needs. To achieve this the space is functional for the medical team and comfortable for patients and family. Also note the two doors for dual circulation.
The double door system also allows patients and family members to keep a sense of their own space during the appointment, because the staff never has to cross out of their zone, or through the others.
This clinic is associated with the FSU College of Medicine, because of this the exam rooms can hold up to five people at a time (the patient, a family member, a nurse/medical assistant, a medical student and the physician).
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EXAM ROOM MILLWORK WALL ELEVATION
THE STAFF EXPERIENCE
The lab is a space occupied mostly by staff, but it is also where patients come for blood work. Because of this, the lab has access to both patient hallways and staff hallways. The design also considers the two different user types by creating a functional lab for staff that is not overwhelming to patients.
LAB ELEVATION
Medical Team Area
Each wing is designed with staff amenities in the center with exam rooms along the outer corridors. The staff at the FSU Primary Care Clinic work collaboratively, and holistically. Because of this, the two work “islands” are designed as open offices. The “islands” are located in the center of both wings of the clinic. They can be found within the clinical staff hallways and act as a central hub for the wings. Each medical staff area has computers for individuals, some are designated for doctors that spend more time there, others are shared by those that come in less frequently.
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This area is a place medical staff can communicate ideas, solutions, and important information. To ensure the privacy of patients, this area is closed off to the public. Tables are set up in the center to create a small meeting area. This also serves as a place information can be relayed to students who work here. Also for ease of communication, these areas include writable wall surfaces for important notices.