Summa Health

SPI’s Cardiology & Nuclear Medicine Suites

Physician Office Design Integrates Specialty Practices

When Summa Physicians Inc. (SPI) was ready to move two of their specialty practices to a bigger space, they engaged Hasenstab Architects because of our depth of experience in physician office design. SPI’s Cardiology practice and the Non-Invasive Cardiovascular and Nuclear Medicine practice were moved to the 1 Park West Building in Akron, Ohio. Understanding that patients may seek help for more than one related condition, SPI wanted to co-locate these programs in order to provide the convenience of same-day appointments between the practices, which saves time and reduces stress for patients.

Two key objectives for the design included renovating the existing facility to meet the unique requirements for each practice, while also maximizing shared space. The design features two separate but connected spaces: a cardiology physician practice suite and the hospital-based non-invasive cardiovascular and nuclear testing suite.

The Cardiology suite features 15 exam rooms which are advantageously positioned around a clinical collaboration core of dictation alcoves. This design helps facilitate timely and efficient communication of patient information.

In addition, recognizing that the support of family and friends may positively impact a patient’s health, the suite also includes a private consultation room for larger discussions.

The suite for Non-Invasive Cardiovascular and Nuclear Medicine was strategically designed to accommodate a state-of-the-art cardiac testing area which includes a nuclear stress lab, nuclear camera room, echo stress lab, hot lab, and Holter/event room. The design also includes associated work areas, physician offices and support spaces. The cardiac testing suite has a dedicated reception area for patients to check-in, but shares the check-out space with the cardiology practice to maximize convenience for patients who may have seen multiple specialists.

It is not uncommon for a patient to be working with more than one specialist at this location. Therefore, considerable attention was paid to creating effective shared support spaces which feature back-of-house connections for ease of access for physicians and clinical staff. This approach facilitates collaboration among healthcare providers and enhances the patient’s experience.

At Hasenstab Architects our approach to physician office design focuses on supporting the best possible patient outcomes. This design of SPI’s Cardiology and Cardiovascular & Nuclear Medicine suites provides a convenient, streamlined experience for patients and families which enables them to access a variety of cardiology and non-invasive cardiovascular services. In addition, the design facilitates collaboration among healthcare providers and enhances efficient communication — all important factors contributing to patient health, comfort and overall satisfaction.