Healthcare Design - October 2020 - 29

a presentation of current trends and relevant
case studies. "The process, including SWOT
analysis and patient experience journeys,
helped HFHS to define who they were and
where they wanted to go," Slater says.
Among the project goals that were defined
was moving from an independent clinic model
to a universal one, marking a major cultural
shift for the organization. Instead of dedicated
departments with their own exam rooms, office
space, staff, and supplies, the new facility's clinic model shares everything. This approach was
determined to deliver the most efficient use of
space, with specialists and providers flexing in
and out of clinic areas as needed. For example,
if cardiology is on-site only two days a week,
another practice could use the clinic space the
other three days. Or if it's found that a particular clinic space is not being fully utilized, a new
practice can be moved in, even on the ﬂy.
Additionally, private offices were eliminated
to allow more room for exam spaces, which are
clustered into universal pods. To give staff the
space they need for phone calls and more focused work, a co-working space and smaller,
shared offices are located at the back side of the
exam rooms, designed to foster a more collaborative environment.
The ﬂexible clinic model was paired with a new
arrival process, as well-another major change
for HFHS. The organization's existing arrival
spaces are something akin to bank teller desks,
with the check-in process itself requiring lots of
paperwork. Gensler asked HFHS to look at different types of check-in spaces through the lens
of various members of its diverse patient population, arriving at a mix of options delivered that
include Apple store-inspired open desks with a
concierge, tables with tablets for self-check-in,
and mobile podiums at clinic entrances.
After checking in, guests are instructed to go
to the clinic areas. There, digital signage can be
changed to communicate the current specialty
using that space, while ﬁxed number signage on
walls (a bit like an airport gate) also helps with
wayﬁnding.
Long, lounge-like waiting spaces, a distinctive design detail of the new facility, have been
pushed out of the clinics and into nearby public
corridors to create comfortable areas for waiting family members as well as active public
spaces. On one side, intimate grouped seating is
eclectic-from low armchairs to couches to café
chairs-and framed with a backdrop of modern
art on the walls. On the other, partial-height walls
in textured walnut wood are woven with blue ac-

An operational change
for the organization,
a new universal clinic
model utilizes exam
rooms and office spaces
that are shared by care
providers.

cents meant to reflect DNA. "We didn't want to
create anything that looked or felt like a traditional clinic waiting area," Slater says. "By pulling waiting areas into the public zone, guests can
choose whether to wait in the lounge, grab a refreshment at the café, or peruse the optical shop."
LESSONS LEARNED

As HFHS moves forward, lessons learned on
the Bloomﬁeld Township project (e.g., the need
for fewer podium check-ins, as not all of them
are being utilized) are being tracked, added to a
master list, and considered for two new ambulatory centers: Royal Oak, which is slated to open
in the second quarter of 2021, and Plymouth
Township, which is due to break ground soon.
Opening in the COVID-19 environment has
proven the value of the facility's ﬂexibility, as well.
For example, as a result of fewer in-person visits
during the pandemic, underutilized exam rooms
have been used to support growing telemedicine
services. Others exam rooms have accommodated specialists and providers that were brought
into Bloomfield Township from HFHS facilities
that were temporarily shut down during the pandemic. "All we have to do is change the name on
the sign electronically," says Ditri. "That really allowed us to ﬂex other practices into this space.
"So that's an incredible boon not just to us
from an efficiency point of view, but now we've
got [more] services out in the community
where they are closer to the people who need
them," says Ditri. "That's a big win for us and
our patients." a

PROJECT DETAILS

Project name: Henry
Ford Medical Center-
Bloomfield Township
Project completion date:
January 2020
Owner: Henry Ford Health
System
Total building area:
83,000 sq. ft.
Total construction cost:
$38 million
Cost/sq. ft.: N/A
Architecture: Gensler
(interior architecture);
Hobbs+Black (core &
shell)
Interior design: Gensler
General contractor: AUCH
Engineering: IMEG
Carpet/flooring: Shaw
(carpet); Shaw, Patcraft
(PVC-free resilient tile)
Ceiling/wall systems:
Armstrong
Furniture-seating/
casegoods: David
Edward, OFS, Kielhauer
Surfaces-solid/other:
Formica
Project details are provided by
the design team and not vetted
by Healthcare Design.

Joann Plockova is a freelance writer based between
Jupiter, Fla., and Prague, Czech Republic. She can be
reached at J O A N N . P L O C K O V A @ G M A I L . C O M .

MORE ONLINE: For an extended article
on the Henry Ford Medical Center-
Bloomfield Township, visit HCDmagazine.com/
henry-ford.

OCTOBER 2020

http://www.HCDmagazine.com/henry-ford http://www.HCDmagazine.com/henry-ford

Healthcare Design - October 2020

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