DOING BUSINESS


New Space for Your ASC Consider working with a health care interior designer BY PAULA WORTHING


You are opening an ASC in a multi-tenant building, or you are anticipating a renovation or addition to your existing ASC. How


are you going to navigate the avenues and side streets of designing the facil- ity? Your greatest concerns until now have been patient satisfaction, qual- ity care and staying on top of regula- tory changes. Now you are faced with square footage requirements, patient and staff flow, lighting, finish materi- als, codes, contractors and permits. Given the many codes and accred- itation requirements that have to be incorporated into an ASC building or renovation project, it is advisable to work with a qualified health care interior designer or interior architect. ASCs need to meet the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) 101 Life


Safety code, the International


Building Code (IBC), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other codes tied to the jurisdiction in which the facility is being constructed. Only the


smallest of renovations can be


achieved easily without the help of someone who is familiar with health care


design, codes, construction


requirements, appropriate finishes and furniture and accreditation issues. A health care interior design consultant should be brought into a building project as soon as plan- ning begins. His/her knowledge of space allocation, building codes and support requirements will provide a valuable programming tool that can help identify all of the areas needed and the square footage required. If you are considering multiple sites for a new ASC or an addition to an existing ASC, this schedule can be


18 ASC FOCUS SEPTEMBER 2015


Summit Ambulatory Surgical Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, an associate of Chesa- peake Urology, demolished its floor build-out and redesigned and reconstructed a new 11,600-square-foot clinic and ASC. PLDA Inc. provided design, construction documents, construction administration and the specification of all furniture, art and signage.


invaluable in evaluating how the site accommodates your facility. Space planning the actual layout of all rooms and areas is where the interior designer’s expertise will integrate the design with the architecture to pro- vide the most efficient use of space. The designer will factor in patient


and work flow considerations while incorporating travel distances, clear sight lines and unique requirements for your facility. An interior designer can also discuss and establish bud- gets and direct the planning of construction, design details, finishes and furniture.


The advice and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author’s and do not represent official Ambulatory Surgery Center Association policy or opinion.


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