JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—Hoefer Welker, a Kansas City-based architecture firm, and US Federal Properties (USFP), a Kansas City-based developer, have been selected to provide a new Outpatient Clinic and Domiciliary for the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System.

The new campus, developed by USFP and leased to the VA, will consolidate existing mental health and primary care services into a single campus custom-designed to serve the area’s 45,000 veterans. The 173,500-square-foot clinic comprehensive outpatient clinic will feature the VA’s Patient Aligned Pact Care Team (PACT) model of care, which centers on patient-driven, proactive, personalized, and team-based care, and a 28,500-square-foot domiciliary will provide residential rehab and treatment services for homeless veterans. The project is expected to be completed in the second half of 2023.

The clinic’s architectural and interior design focus on sustainably designed spaces to deliver primary care, mental health services, radiology, optometry, multi-specialty, physical medicine and rehab, audiology and pathology services. Additional features include a large imaging program with MRI, CT and women’s imaging center, as well as substance abuse, homeless and PTSD treatment programs in a home-like setting. Large windows, warm tones and natural elements add to the environment for veterans and their families. Visual continuity between the interior and exterior of the building unifies the design. Similar materials, colors, and proportions will be carried from the main entry, through the lobby atrium and public concourse, and into the patient rooms.

A large atrium creates a strong connection between the first and second floors, and intuitive wayfinding allows the lobby space to act as a central hub. Efficient clinical space layout allows staff to spend more time with patients, protects patient privacy, and minimizes fatigue.

Designed to be integral and connected to the main clinic, the domiciliary features light blues and warm wood tones, adding to the resort-like feel of the space. The patient wings are arranged around a central nurse station allowing for visibility to each patient wing. The nurse station sits under a wood plank ceiling adding warmth to the space, and each patient wing is easily identified by a glass wall treatment with a number, making it easy for patients and staff to navigate.

The project will be built to achieve two Green Globes for New Construction, based on its sustainable, healthy and resilient building design. This holistic approach to sustainability is present in both the building and site through climate-responsive design, high-performance glazing, energy-efficient lighting, water efficiency through native landscapes, and an on-site detention basin.

“Substance abuse and PTSD are growing concerns among our veteran population, with 1 in 5 veterans with PTSD also suffering from substance abuse. Campuses with programs like VA Jacksonville are vital to properly serve and treat those who have served our country,” said Hosam Habib, AIA, Partner and Director of Design at Hoefer Welker.  “This campus will consolidate multiple primary and specialty services, including necessary rehabilitation and treatment services, under one roof to empower the veteran community in the greater North Florida/South Georgia region.”

In collaboration with USFP, which develops, finances, owns and operates federal government-leased properties, Hoefer Welker is leading the architectural and interior design of the new healthcare clinic. This is the seventeenth clinic Hoefer Welker has developed with USFP.

“We’re proud to have partnered with Hoefer Welker on numerous projects across the country, and we’re pleased to soon add another state-of-the-art facility to that esteemed list,” said Rick Baier, Principal, USFP.

In addition to Hoefer Welker (architect) and USFP (developer/owner), the multidisciplinary team includes Meyer Najem Construction (general contractor), Sain Associates (civil engineer), Bob D. Campbell & Co. (structural engineer), Smith & Boucher, Inc. (mechanical engineer), Land3 Studio LLC (landscape architect), FSC, Inc. (life safety), and Protection Engineering (blast engineer).

Founded in 1996, Hoefer Welker is a multi-disciplinary architecture, interior design, medical equipment planning, technology consultancy and engineering firm with offices in Kansas City and Dallas.

The post Jacksonville Plans Sprawling New VA Clinic and Domiciliary appeared first on HCO News.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Interdisciplinary architecture and design firm Hoefer Wysocki, based in Kansas City, announced the completion of the two-story, 38,904-square-foot Saint Luke’s clinic located in Kansas City on March 1. Built with sustainability, flexibility and efficiency in mind, the LEED Silver–certified facility provides access to diagnostic and treatments services to allow multiple health care options to be offered to the community.

Saint Luke’s Clinic specialties include urology, cardiology, orthopedics, family medicine and a rotating specialty, with imaging, pharmacy, and lab facilities also available. The comprehensive imaging capabilities include X-ray, DXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) scan, mammogram, ultrasound, CT, and MRI.

“There is such a diversity of services at this new clinic,” said Ashely Eusey, an associate at Hoefer Wysocki. “The imagining wing is extensive, the pharmacy and blood draw are state of the art, and there are so many different specialties for patients to choose from.”

A major goal of the design team was to achieve efficiency. The modular units were arranged to allow doctors and technicians to reach patient rooms quicker. This design aspect creates self-supporting departments since all major necessities are provided at each space. This will ultimately reduce the amount of time patients spend waiting to be seen by doctors and specialists.

This diversity is also met with the appropriate amount of infrastructure to accommodate such specialized needs. The reception desk is built to hold great patient volume, with the option of self-check-in kiosks if the many receptionists are busy. From the main waiting room, each specialty has their own waiting area and checkout desk to keep patients moving through.

“It’s a well-oiled machine that has so many services to offer but it doesn’t feel that way. The interior has warm inviting colors and plenty of windows creating an alluring atmosphere,” said Eusey. “It doesn’t feel cold or sterile or like you are being rushed. In my humble opinion, I believe it is the best of all aspects of healthcare.”

To meet the design team’s sustainability goals for the project, the clinic features extensive indoor air quality measures, specifying low-emitting building material and flexibility of thermal and lighting controls adding to the overall patient experience. The design team used recycled materials, energy-efficient equipment and decreased construction waste to reduce the impact on the environment. The project site is well landscaped with walking paths located around the clinic and is close in proximity to the local shopping district, effectively uniting the clinic to the surrounding community.

“St. Luke’s as an organization has a commitment to the environment and the community it interacts with,” said Eusey. “The facility manager, Mark Brooks, was open to discussion on sustainable practices, which is key in promoting this in design. He and I even drafted some ongoing policies to ensure this clinic stays up to date in regards to maintaining a healthy indoor and outdoor environment.”

This collaboration became key to finding the best possible solutions within budget and schedule. By integrating the equipment planners, engineers, owner, contractor and other related parties in design, the team was able to discover better ways to create a sustainable building. “I would point to this as a key part of our silver rating in LEED,” stated Eusey.

Eusey also explained that building such a diverse facility creates many hurdles, with one of the biggest being preserving user content. The needs of a pharmacist are not necessarily the same as the needs of a cardiologist, a technician or a nurse — merging all of these very important requests into one clinic was a challenge.

“My hats off to both the Principal-in-Charge Jim Stearman and Project Manager Dennis O’Roark for taking some many visions and creating one cohesive unit,” said Eusey. “My conversations with the staff have been positive and at the open house, the general public was blown away by the variety of options and ease of accessibility. It’s a testament to the work they did early on in design to get all parties on board, moving in the same direction.”

Saint Luke’s will also include new and advanced imaging equipment. For example, the X-ray machine is an intelligent machine that is controlled and maneuvered via IPAD. It even gives the one controlling it suggestions on where the camera should be placed for the best picture given the body part being scanned. Alongside X-ray, the facility also has MRI, CT, Dexa, Mammography, and Ultrasound — all cutting-edge machines. The pharmacy and blood-draw departments also have entirely new equipment.

The post Saint Luke’s Clinic Touts New Efficient Design appeared first on HCO News.