This project was a build-out of a 19,010 s.f. existing shell space to create a third floor, 28-bed medical/surgery unit at SCL’s Platte Valley Medical Center (PVMC). With the program already in place—mimicking the second floor—the goal was to understand and improve upon the lower floor’s design to bring a premier patient experience to this smaller community east of the Denver metro area.

Highlighted by abundant natural light, each patient room features ample space for visiting family members. Rooms are designed for ease-of-use by both staff and patients. Further improvements include: the addition of a sliding door instead of a swinging door; moving the charting station to the side of the bed; moving the visitor’s couch to create space on the outward facing side of the room, leaving the entry area clear for staff.

There are four nurse stations located throughout the lengthy space. Diagonal halls with adjacent office space, as well as comfortable waiting areas for families and visitors, cut across the floor to create quicker access across the long hallway.

For the interior design work, the focus was on the quality and quantity of artwork as well as environmentally based, prairie-themed graphic design work, analogous with the building’s eastern Colorado location. The corridor artwork was commissioned by local artists, a highlight of which is a piece made from cloth donated by the staff of PVMC.