SPMA Saratoga Family Practice provides a full range of primary care services. Previously, the Practice had been cramped, short on Exam Rooms, and without support space, with staff spread over two floors.
The relocation and expansion of this practice to a single space needed to include ten larger Exam Rooms, a Patient Education Space, a Point of Care Testing Lab, a Blood-Draw Lab, an on-site Immunization Station, plus offices and support spaces for four Practitioners, Nurses and support staff. Challenges for the Design Team included combining two existing Suites to make the new Practice Suite; new HVAC and exhaust systems for a ground floor location in a mixed use, multi-story building; extensive existing overhead piping to remain and coordination of services under a slab on grade requiring special attention and planning.
The Exam Rooms and patient Toilets are located in and around a central core, with circulation connecting to the Waiting Area at each end; the circulation is kept as simple and short as possible to reduce patient and staff travel distances and increase efficiency. A Triage Area at each entrance from the Waiting Area helps streamline patient flow. Lab and support spaces are located between the Waiting Area and the Nurse Stations to optimize efficiency. Window locations were given to Waiting and to staff work areas. An open layout for the Nurse’s Stations allows exterior views and daylight to spill into the interior circulation, enhancing the patient experience while providing staff supervision of the passageway. The core walls were painted in an accent color to help orient patients; the color continues around the Check-In and Check-Out windows, completing and reinforcing the visual identification of the core shape.