Creating a highly efficient medical office space.
Healthcare facility managers are catering to a new customer, the patient. Rightsize has worked with major healthcare providers throughout Chicagoland and the Midwest, and as healthcare providers shift to the more patient-centric approach, Rightsize team members noticed a new trend in facilities design.
“Our healthcare clients are looking to accommodate a broader administrative function, and those needs are immediate,” says Rightsize Facility Performance account manager Aryn Shaw. “Our clients are implementing new design practices for medical office space as quickly as they can.”
But why the recent changes?
As explained in last week’s post, medical facilities use billing codes to collect payment for Medicare services through the insurance companies. In October 2015, the 11,000 billing codes are going to double as Medicare creates a larger, more standardized billing and diagnosis system, known as ICD-10, according to CMS.gov. These codes must be consistent across all of healthcare, which means more detail will be required in processing patient care and additional expertise will be required in the back office.
As a result, Healthcare facilities are hiring more back-office personnel to manage this process. “Our clients have to guarantee that they have adequate staff to complete the work at hand, not to mention accommodating the doctors, nurses, caregivers and more,” says Shaw.
In the midst of change brings a new standard for medical office space. Rightsize recommends workstations with small footprint, more collaborative space, with meeting rooms for practice managers and clinical managers to meet in the event that things do not get coded correctly or there are other billing issues. It is very important to configure space with flexibility in mind, so that as changes continue to occur, they can be accommodated without sacrificing efficiency.
Here are some guidelines for selecting furniture in medical office space, based on Rightsize’s healthcare experience:
General Desks: Smaller workstations configured in an open environment. Desks with lower panels with less privacy. The purpose is to maximize use of collaborative space, while reducing the overall square footage per person. Workstations should be equipped with ergonomic chairs that will remain comfortable throughout the day.
Meeting Rooms: Small breakout-like conference rooms and small meeting rooms. Rooms should maximize natural light, particularly in the conference rooms. Floor to ceiling glass partitions make a big difference for creating a group feeling. Small meeting rooms allow for people to meet to make phone calls and embrace privacy.
Private Offices: For private offices, Rightsize suggests furniture that can be configured in a variety of ways to maximize the storage. In addition, finding a way to enhance natural light through the floor to ceiling partitions can be very useful.
“We specialize in a blended solution, where we take new, pre-owned and possibly refurbished items, and mix it together to create a sustainable design solution. It’s easy on a budget and looks great.”
Rightsize has an 85,000 square- foot finished showroom here in Chicago (5000 W. Roosevelt Road), where companies can go in and choose what they want. If you can’t decide for yourself, they’ll also come in and design your space for you. Everything is ready for immediate delivery.
“There are plenty of great products, it just depends on what you want to meet your budget,” added Minnick.
*As published September 2nd in the Midwest RE Journals
About Rightsize:
Rightsize Facility Performance, headquartered in Chicago, IL, is a nationwide office interiors and facilities services firm serving corporate clients in transition. Founded in 2004, Rightsize employs an industry leading “Design/Furnish” approach to ensure seamless workplace transitions and is a single source for interior design, furniture procurement, delivery and installation, asset disposition, facility decommissioning and ancillary project services. Through its Office Furniture Center brand, which includes OfficeFurnitureCenter.com and a 200,000-square-foot showroom, Rightsize also provides a single source for quality workstations, desks, seating, filing, conference and reception furniture.
