Insights & Solutions

Learn about: how incorporating continuous improvement in the design process can benefit healthcare organizations, which Lean elements can serve as a framework for designers to approach a project, why design should be adaptive over time to accommodate changing needs, and how the evidence-based design process and Lean elements can complement each other.

Learn about: how innovative design can be achieved at the same or similar cost, how design can result in a well-regarded community landmark, and how community-based care improves patient use and compliance with regimens.

Learn about: how facility design facilitates population health goals for a community health clinic, how pod-based layout promotes staff interaction, collaboration, and efficiency, and how the ‘group visit’ room supports patient engagement, education, and continuity of care.

This Ambulatory Care Center Design Tool (ACCDT), developed by Dr. Anjali Joseph and Dr. Zahra Zamani from Clemson University in collaboration with The Center for Health Design (CHD), builds upon a series of papers, best practice case studies and in-depth literature reviews conducted by CHD as well as CHD's Clinic Design Post-Occupancy Evaluation Toolkit – Tool 2 Audit of Physical Environment with additions from a thesis by Crews (2013). The tool supports design teams in making key design decisions about ambulatory care centers linked to evidence based design goals and principles.

My Safety Net Clinic (MySNC) was developed by Dr. Larry Mallak and Wasif Butt of Western Michigan University in 2011. MySNC was funded by a grant from the California HealthCare Foundation, in conjunction with The Center for Health Design.  

The goal for this project was to have this facility's deisgn include a patient- and family-centered environment, improve the quality and safety of healthcare, enhance care of the whole person by adding contact with nature and positive distractions, and create a positive work environment. The design would also feature maximum standardization and accommodate future flexibility and growth.