By Dr Irwin Lim, Rheumatologist
Effective space. This has been on my mind a lot recently.
Our most established clinic is based in Parramatta, a suburb in Western Sydney.
We've been in a 2-storey house since 2005. During this time, we've grown and added new staff and new services, squeezing ourselves into all corners, redividing rooms and making do with what space we have.
This has meant compromise. The workflow could and should be much better. We lack a room for staff to congregate. We would love more space to enhance the experience for our patients.
There's 2 years left on the lease so we're starting to plan.
A huge, somewhat scary move for us.
Small group exercise area
In this planning phase, we've decided not to worry about budget and cash flow. I know. Wishful thinking.
As it stands, we want a site to accommodate:
- 6 Consulting rooms, to be used by doctors, a nurse, a rheumatology educator, allied health professionals
- 1 room for musculoskeletal ultrasound
- 1 room to house a Bone Densitometer
- A pathology collection area
- 6 treatment rooms for physiotherapists
- 2 treatment rooms for remedial massage therapists
- Office space for the physiotherapists/exercise physiologists
- A compact central gym area including space for small group exercise classes
- An area next to the gym for biomechanical testing/assessment
- Showers & Toilets
- 2-3 offices, to be used by administrative workers, the practice manager & the managing director
- A large staffroom which can also function as a small (20 seat) lecture theatre/staff meeting space
- The staffroom needs to incorporate a functional kitchen which can be utilised for group healthy cooking demonstrations
- A reception area with space for 5 front-line reception staff
- A range of seating options for patients & their families
- An area built for patient self-education utilising smart pads or computers (ala Apple Store)
- An area to display & demonstrate useful products & devices which are used in managing arthritis
- An area for kids with TV, DVD, books to entertain
I'm thinking lots of glass, natural light, and parking!
Can you think of anything else that you would like to see in a rheumatology centre?
Dr Irwin Lim is a rheumatologist and a director of BJC Health. You should follow him on twitter here.
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