Deploying Standards and Reducing Waste

In a previous engagement, Catalyst recommended to build new ambulatory clinics with a combination of primary care, urgent care, rotating specialists, lab, imaging, and physical rehabilitation. However, Catalyst noted that all of the existing ambulatory sites in the system had different operational flow, aesthetics, and naming conventions. Before hitting the drawing board, Catalyst worked with hospital leadership to create standards to avoid these issues with their new clinics and increase speed to market.

To save both time and money, each new clinic needed to create a consistent patient experience, maximize staff efficiency, and be flexible for changes in services offerings. Catalyst developed ambulatory prototypes with column grids that make it easy to adjust operational flow and service offerings. From an operations perspective, the Planning Team evaluated design components like single-handed room to improve staff efficiency.

To create a consistent patient experience between clinics, interior and exterior finish guidelines were created. Installing consistent finishes throughout the clinics not only creates a familiar environment for the patient but it also saves the system money with bulk pricing and improved quality control. To further control costs, high-end exterior finishes were focused at the main entry where patients/visitors are interacting most with the facility. Creating this similar entry-way at each clinic improves association with the system brand and reduces confusion with site wayfinding.