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“Durable, easy-to-clean materials are a must,” says Dan Chapel, president of Chapel Associates Architects in Little Rock, Ark. He recommends plastic laminate in all clinical areas. “You can scrub plastic laminate countertops and spray them with disinfectant,” Chapel says. “Plus, they’ll take a great deal of abuse from claws and feet.” Even better: It’s one of the least-expensive options.

Plastic laminate comes in hundreds of colors and patterns, such as wood grain or faux granite, so shop around to see which brand offers the look and features you want. Finally, choose a matte finish, says Chapel. High-gloss finishes are more slippery, and they’re difficult to clean because every drop of moisture leaves a spot.

Although plastic laminate countertops work well in high moisture areas, such as kennels and surgery rooms, some veterinarians prefer stainless steel. Stainless steel can be a smart choice, Chapel says, if you pressure wash the counters often.

Chapel recommends spending more for Corian or granite countertops in the reception area because that’s where clients’ first and last impressions form. If these high-dollar options don’t fit your budget, consider installing granite tiles, which are far less expensive. Keep in mind that granite tiles aren’t appropriate for other areas of the clinic because the difficult-to-clean grout seams collect dirt.

Finally, avoid using porous surfaces, such as stone, for countertops because they hold moisture and contaminates.

MUST HAVE #2: AN ATTRACTIVE, WELL-ORGANIZED RECEPTION AREA

Clients’ first and last impressions of your hospital occur in the reception area. That’s why you want to incorporate top-quality lighting, plenty of color, and an eye-catching logo or piece of artwork on a wall behind the desk or elsewhere in the reception area. Chapel also recommends that you spend a little extra money for granite or marble countertops, especially since clients will actually touch those countertops when they write you checks.

In addition, make the reception counter the clear focus of the room, with separate, clearly marked areas for admissions and discharge. The worst picture you can present to clients is one of confusion and disorder. You’ll convey that impression if you have clusters of people milling around the reception desk, some paying their bills, others dropping off their pets, and another complaining about poor service.

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Ease into the planning process by focusing on the necessities. Then you can take time to resolve the uncertainties.

Planning and building a new veterinary hospital takes months—even years—so it’s hard to know where to begin. Sometimes the best place to start is with the essentials—the design elements you can’t live without. In this article, Dan Chapel, president of Chapel Associates Architects in Little Rock, Ark., shares his top design essentials for new veterinary clinics. After designing 470 hospitals and kennels in the United States, his experience can help you create your own list of hospital must-haves.

MUST-HAVE #1:  AN EASILY IDENTIFIABLE ENTRY

Design an entrance that’s well marked and inviting. A porch or alcove, attractive landscaping, and sidewalks are great visual cues that direct first-time visitors to the proper entrance.

“I’ve seen hospitals that were like a maze to find the front door,” says Chapel. “Clients shouldn’t have to go on a wild goose chase dragging a cat carrier, a rottweiler, or three kids.”

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One misplaced door, room, or closet can throw off your entire traffic flow, so heed this advice for creating an efficient floor plan.

MISTAKE 5: GROOMING AREAS THAT OPEN DIRECTLY INTO PUBLIC AREAS
Although placing the grooming area off the reception area is entertaining for clients and a good advertisement for the service, it poses a health concern, Dr. Clark says. The accumulation of hair in the grooming area can get tracked into the public areas or sterile treatment areas. To reduce contamination, he suggests designing grooming-area entrances that open into hallways or make team members pass through two sets of doors. While practice owners and architects still make plenty of floor plan mistakes, Rabinowitz says the average hospital is much better than it used to be because veterinarians are continuallylearning and improving their practices, Rabinowitz says. “Good veterinary design has become a standard of the industry,” he says. “I don’t think many professionals apply the same importance to their spaces as veterinarians do, and that benefits pets, clients, and the entire team.

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Brought to you by Contributing Editor Ashley M. Shoults of Animal Arts.

Building a new hospital is an exciting process.  It is also a process full of big decisions, one of which occurs right from the start: selecting your site.  Choosing the right site for your new practice can play a significant role in everything from the basic design of your hospital to your potential gross revenue.  Here are a few tips for picking out your site.

BUY THE BEST SITE YOU CAN.

Try to purchase ground in a thriving community that is fast growing and prosperous.  For example, an urban/suburban location with young families in the middle and upper-middle class income brackets is ideal.  Your demographic market is directly related to your gross income; given the right market, your gross numbers can increase even in the first year of running your new hospital.

BUY FOR THE FUTURE.

You are making a 30-year commitment to the community in which you build.  So consider if it will continue to grow and how it will look 30 years from now.  It may make the most sense to purchase land with future potential at the edge of your existing community.  This approach allows the community to grow out to you, and you will have less competition from existing practices that are centrally located within the community.  In addition, think about your future expansion needs.  If you do not have the funds to build everything you want in the beginning, your strategy can include a plan for future expansion.  Consider buying a site with more than ample space.

KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BUYING.

Before buying a site, look for the following:

Visibility and Access – On the most basic level, people need to be able to find, see and get to your site easily.  So choose land that is prominent, visible from a main highway and has easy access.

Zoning – Be sure the site is zoned for your use.  Call the city for confirmation that the site is zoned correctly.  If it isn’t, you can consider getting a variance, but this costs time and money with no guarantees.  Also, if you plan to have overnight boarding, check the local regulations that may affect your ability to do so on the site.

Capacity – The general rule of thumb is that you will need a piece of ground that is at least four to six times the size of your building in order to have enough space for required parking, landscaping, and setbacks.  If you have plans for future expansion, be sure to include the scope of the expansion in addition to the above estimates when considering the overall size of your site.

Flat Sites and Soils – You want to look for a site that is relatively flat and has never been used as a dump.  If the site looks steep, or if you see debris sticking up through the dirt, think about another site in order to avoid significant extra costs.

Utilities – Be sure utilities such as gas, water, power, and sewer are readily available at the site. If they are missing, find out the cost of bringing them to the site, who will pay for it, and when they will be brought in.

Consider the factors above before signing on the dotted line, or give us a call to discuss any ideas and concerns you may have about the sites you have visited.

One misplaced door, room, or closet can throw off your entire traffic flow, so heed this advice for creating an efficient floor plan.

MISTAKE 4: PETS PARADING THROUGH PUBLIC AREAS
Pets need to be taken outside multiple times a day from various places in the hospital. But according to Rabinowitz, transporting pets through public areas isn’t a good idea. “It’s best to make a clear path from the runs or wards to the outside and keep pet exit doors out of public view.” He also recommends placing outdoor pet areas away from delivery entrances, staff entrances, and staff break or lunch areas.

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One misplaced door, room, or closet can throw off your entire traffic flow, so heed this advice for creating an efficient floor plan.

MISTAKE 3: SEPARATE ENTRANCE AND EXIT DOORS
“From time immemorial, veterinarians have worked hard to get clients in one door and out another,” says Dr. Clark. “But unless you’re building a large hospital with a completely separate checkout area, most people have a natural tendency to go back out the door they came in.”

Although Clark thinks the theory behind separate entrances and exits is a good one, he doesn’t think it’s realistic for smaller hospitals. “Separate doors are confusing and inconvenient for clients,” he says. “You get new clients all the time, so you’ll constantly be educating them on something that doesn’t bring much benefit anyway.”

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Each year Pantone® releases their color trends for the year. This year’s colors are a refreshing bunch and are sure to brighten up your interior! The color of the year is Emerald. Take one of these refreshing colors to brighten up your facility and stay up with the latest in design trends. Some of our favorites are below, but be sure to visit www.pantone.com to learn more about 2013’s colors.

MISTAKE 2: STORAGE ISSUES
“Almost all hospitals shortchange their storage areas,” Dr. Clark says. Rabinowitz agrees, and he recommends storing items near their point of use. “Having only one central supply area doesn’t work,” he says. “It’s best to incorporate ample storage space in exam rooms, treatment areas, and surgical prep areas and use a central supply area for stocking long-term supplies.”

Don’t forget about food storage as well. More and more practices are dispensing food, and that presents a real challenge. “It’s heavy, and some places move a lot of it,” Rabinowitz says. His
solution: Create a smaller storage or food retail area near the reception desk so staff members don’t have to haul bags back and forth across the hospital. To make unloading and stocking large quantities of food easier, Dr. Clark recommends locating the central storage area near the back of the hospital with its own separate entrance.

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One misplaced door, room, or closet can throw off your entire traffic flow, so heed this advice for creating an efficient floor plan.

Talk to anyone who works in a poorly planned hospital, and you’ll probably hear the words “if only” quite frequently. If only the exam room opened to the treatment area; if only the storage area wasn’t so far from the reception desk; if only the door swung the opposite way into surgery; and so on. Details that may seem minor can pose major inconveniences to doctors and staff members. To make your days flow more smoothly, two experts in the hospital design field share their top peeves with floor plans and offer wiser alternatives.

MISTAKE 1: ONE-DOOR EXAM ROOMS
Making doctors and clients use the same door to exam rooms just doesn’t work, says Dr. Ross
Clark, a veterinarian in Tulsa, Okla., who’s been in the business since 1966. He says tripping over leashes and fighting traffic congestion in the hallway are constant battles when you only have one entrance and exit.

Privacy is another issue, says Brad Rabinowitz, AIA, an architect in Burlington, Vt. “Doctors often get sidetracked by staff members in the hallway between  appointments,” he says. “Separate entrances minimize interruptions.”

With veterinary hospital design making up nearly 30 percent of his business, Rabinowitz recommends planning a layout— including the number and location of exam room doors—with your specific needs in mind. “There’s no universal way to lay out a hospital,” he says. “Just mentally run through your daily routes to see what works best for you.” For example, if you want staff members to bill clients in the exam room, consider the steps a receptionist or assistant must take to reach those rooms.

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