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accessible parking and/or public transportation, ex- tended hours on both work- days and weekends, and the approval of patients' PCPs are all paramount. Beyond that, keep in mind the myriad patients who arrive for imme- diate healthcare service can be quite dif erent from those who arrive, not fundamentally ill, at pre-scheduled times for an extended time in an infu- sion bay. Their expectations for punctuality, hospitality and environment are more discretionary. They can and do "shop" for where to spend their time. Is there comfort- able space for those who come with them? Do either they or their family have to wait with sick patients? Are they treated to a calm and relaxing experi- ence, or must they be assailed by what is sometimes an ambi- ance of urgency and illness? The best way to confi gure the space to assure compliance with all these objectives is to have a separate entrance and/ or reception area for the infu- sion suite. Infusion bays and support areas, including the supervisory physician's of ce, should be in a location where nurses and medical assistants can shift their attention to or from the urgent care area when volume shifts. Beyond the infusion suite The question that might next be asked is: What other medi- cal services can be readily and cost ef ectively handled outside the PCP of ce or the emergency department in the convenience of an urgent care setting? Shields MRI has already captured signifi cant market share with its imaging centers. New England Scope in Worcester, Massachusetts is one of many outpatient surgery centers that perform highly ef cient, convenient and cost-ef ective gastro- enterological procedures, including colonoscopies, outside the hospital environ- ment. Reliant Medical Group's ReadyMED walk-in medi- cal care clinics in Auburn, Shrewsbury and, soon, Milford (Massachusetts), all of er school-required well- ness certifi cation and simple laboratory testing. While some argue that this trend represents a diminution of the PCP's role, most doc- tors are happy not spending their time on these relatively administrative duties in favor of dealing with patients with more serious health issues. Healthcare is increasingly delivered as an ambulatory service, with hospitals focused more on research, acute care and traumatic emergency care. Healthcare architects and de- signers need to be fully aware of the changing landscape of healthcare delivery methodol- ogy in order to anticipate and plan the best ways to support the providers. Marc Margulies, FAIA, LEED AP, is a principal at Margulies Perruzzi Architects. Images: Warren Patterson Photography Separate waiting spaces are provided for children and adults at ReadyMED walk-in medical care clinics, located in central Massachusetts. 1.800.428.4065 TOLL FREE www.willoughby-ind.com 5(9,7ÀOHVDYDLODEOHDWRXUZHEVLWH %DULDWULF+HDOWKFDUH/DYDWRU\ %HKDYLRUDO+HDOWKFDUH/DYDWRU\ ,QIHFWLRQ&RQWURO;/DYDWRU\ Three New Healthcare Lavatories to Meet Your Needs © 2014 Willoughby Industries Inc. t or i es t o M ee t Y our N ee d s &RQFHLYHG; WRPLQLPL]H OLJDWXUH SRLQWVIRU EHKDYLRUDO KHDOWKFDUH HQYLURQPHQWV 'HVLJQHG VSHFLÀFDOO\WR PLQLPL]H VSODVKLQJDQG UHGXFH WKHVSUHDG RILQIHFWLRXV GLVHDVH (QJLQHHUHGZLWK DOE ZHLJKWUDWLQJ DQGVSHFLÀF IHDWXUHVIRU EDULDWULF SDWLHQWVLQ KHDOWKFDUH HQYLURQPHQWV %+6 :%/ :,&6 MCDM AG.COM | M A RCH /A PR IL 2015 | Medical Construction & Design 31