The result of a week-long 3P event, the design of this multi-specialty 28,000 s.f. medical office building focuses on provider collaboration, clinic flexibility, and efficiency. Thirty Sutter physicians, medical assistants, and development staff worked alongside the Boulder Associates project team to analyze current and ideal work flows and to create full-scale cardboard mockups of the design which were tested, revised, and perfected throughout the week.

The building features seven pods, each with a centralized, collaborative work area. The open space promotes communication among the care teams, and allows for a clear line of sight into the exam rooms. This patient centered medical home model of care allows the provider team to work together to address the patient’s healthcare needs. Boulder Associates used a modular design to standardize the pods and exam rooms, giving the clinic flexibility and allowing clinicians and other staff to utilize any of the pods.

Self-rooming, one-stop exam rooms, and a patient-tracking system reduce inefficiencies and improve the patient experience. Upon checking in at the centralized reception desk, patients are given a color-coded card with a room number on it. The card matches the theme – the bay, hills, the city, the shore, or the forest – of one of the seven pods. Each of the pod themes are reinforced with graphics, lighting, and colors which serve as a creative wayfinding tool that helps patients locate their exam room. Once a patient has self-roomed himself, the patient-tracking system notifies staff that a patient is ready to be seen. 

A part of a Lean Integrated Project Delivery Approach, this project was delivered by the integrated project team on schedule and under budget.