1. Partner with another orthopedic practice to purchase the building. If a single physician group does not have a high enough case volume to support the construction of a surgery center, physician partners should consider entering into an agreement with another physician practice, orthopedic or otherwise, to share the cost of constructing the facility. The two practices can collaborate to choose a neural site for the surgery center, says Mr. Trigger, and surgeons from both practices can use the facility. He mentioned a project in Delaware where BBL constructed a larger surgery center that is owned by 22 different practices.
2. Have guaranteed pricing. Mr. Trigger says one of the key ingredients for physician groups is to have the early upfront guaranteed pricing for the facility to be sized properly, meaning that the appropriate amount of space is available for use. “Make sure the builders provide early up-front guarantees so as the clients are designing the building, they can make early educated decisions,” says Mr. Trigger.
3. Build large operating rooms. If the ASC includes orthopedics, the building will need to include large ORs to accommodate for the equipment orthopedic surgeons need for their surgeries. However, even if the ASC is a single-specialty practice now, it helps to have the larger ORs in case the practice expands in the future, says Mr. Trigger. Sometimes, it isn’t feasible for a physician or physician group to own a surgery center, but having the ORs available allows other surgeons to rent space in the facility instead of taking their patients to the hospital.
4. Make space for complementary services. One of the biggest trends in orthopedic practices is creating a one-stop-shop for care where patients are able to receive all their services at a single practice location. Mr. Trigger recommends that practices constructing new surgery centers create space for physical therapy services, even if the practice doesn’t currently employ a physical therapist. In addition to physical therapy services, the practice should consider additional room for rheumatology and orthotics, depending on the patient population and practice focus. “Physical therapy is very big in orthopedics,” says Mr. Trigger. “Practices should plan to create an environment where tenants come in and have a real bone and joint center.”
Another option is to create two separate facilities connected through indoor walkways. One physician group that collaborated with BBL constructed a six-OR ASC connected through a walkway to the clinic building. “The physicians can see patient in the clinic, do outpatient surgery in the ASC and offer physical therapy at the same location,” says Mr. Trigger.
5. Design for optimized workflow. The most efficient designs for orthopedic practices revolve around physician and staff step-saving techniques. “We try to design these facilities so the physicians and staff have to take the least amount of steps between point A and point B,” says Mr. Trigger. “Pay attention to how exam rooms and operating rooms are clustered. It’s about making the wait times as short as possible for the patients.”
Learn more about BBL Medical Facilities.
Read other coverage on orthopedic practice construction:
– 7 Steps for Reducing Costs at a New Orthopedic Practice Using an Environmentally-Friendly Design
– 4 Best Practices for Managing Surgical Equipment in New Facilities
