Roseville Pediatrics Replacement Practice

NORR was commissioned to design a replacement facility for a large and long-lived Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health (PMLGH) pediatric practice in Lancaster, PA. Consistent with PMLGH’s commitment to LEAN process improvement, NORR’s Health Sciences team led the clinical team of physicians, nurses, senior management and administrators in a series of Big Room workshops. The outcome of the workshops inspired the ultimate design.

The Big Room workshops provided all participants an opportunity to collaborate and voice their ideas. The LEAN process, in architectural design (as in manufacturing and now many other arenas) is dedicated to removing waste from the system – in this case, the healthcare service delivery system. NORR team members facilitated a comprehensive analysis, with interactive client participation, to determine ways to improve process efficiencies, reduce errors, reduce lag times and improve outcomes. Decisions about specific planning approaches were based on a carefully crafted scoring methodology where the options are scored against comprehensive waste reduction and design driver matrices. The outcome resulted in defined goals that were incorporated into the building design solution.

The final solution is characterized by three primary care practice pods of six exam rooms each, a behavioral health pod and respective team support rooms. This design allows the practice to flex up and down depending on utilization volumes. Staff workflow is improved by operating in smaller team environments. Reduced scale of waiting rooms creates a more calming environment for patients and parents. Exam rooms are designed for the highest degree of flexibility and interchangeability.

The interior design concept greets the patient with a concierge desk, so the visitor is quickly welcomed to the space. The clinical pods are then easily identified with a signature color. Throughout the patient waiting zone, a model train, bubble tubes, wall niche’s, large scale murals and playful furniture provide positive distractions for all stages of childhood, while being easily managed by the staff. The design imparts an immediate feeling of positivity, order and cleanliness which signals to the patient’s guardian that this practice is focused on delivering optimal care.