Use current, future case mix to plan your center
Use current, future case mix to plan your center
The key to successful design of a same-day surgery space that won’t require updates and additions in the near future is good planning and a crystal ball, say the experts interviewed by Same-Day Surgery.
"Know your case mix, and know what equipment and procedures you may be adding in the future," advises Steve Dickerson, AIA, principal architect at Eckert Wordell in Kalamazoo, MI.
"If you’re planning space for an ophthalmologist, but you don’t expect him or her to keep the room fully scheduled, consider what other specialties might use the center. Know what type of equipment or space they will need that is different from the ophthalmologist," he says.
Kay Kern, RN, BSN, MSBA, administrator at Michigan Surgical Center in East Lansing, made a number of changes in the way the administrative and medical records areas were designed to ensure confidentiality of patient records. "We knew we wanted to become accredited, so I had to make sure we could me the accreditation requirements for protection of those records."
Even with careful planning, Kern has one change she says she should have made during the design phase. "We handle most of our preadmits by telephone, but we occasionally have some last-minute patients scheduled or some patients we can’t reach by telephone before the day of surgery," she says. "I now wish we had built two private spaces for these preadmission interviews. We have a small consulting room that we use when it’s open, but many times we have to conduct the interview in a less-than-private area."
Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.