When a plastic surgeon in solo private practice decided to build a free-standing surgical facility, a myriad of challenges became apparent. Not least of these was that in addition to approvals by the local planning commission, city council and building department, the finished facility would need to be certified by the federal government.
Design criteria included administrative offices, examination rooms, and state-of-the-art operating, procedure and recovery rooms, among other amenities. Site selection considerations included that the facility should be near other kinds of medical offices, and near but not on a major thoroughfare. The site also needed to be large enough to accommodate the 6,000 square foot building, attendant parking and vehicle traffic flow.
As in all healthcare facilities, indoor air quality was a main concern, with careful planning to allow filtered air flow without cross-contamination. Mechanical equipment was planned and sized to maintain air temperature within a narrow temperature band. To comply with requirements for Medicare certification, a full, automatic power backup system was installed.
To protect patient privacy and comply with HIPAA regulations, sound-deadening insulation was added and public areas were designed to maintain privacy. A separate exit from the surgical suite was also included.
Meeting all the design criteria while remaining within an established budget is difficult in any construction situation, but doubly so in a complex surgical facility. BD’s value-enhanced design-build strategy satisfied the budget, the surgeon and the federal government.