In response to outpatient visit demand, the West Palm Beach VAMC completed renovations of the 9th floor space occupied by Primary Care services. Over the past 10 years Primary Care group panel sizes have been adjusted to support the Institute of Healthcare Improvements initiative on Advanced Clinic Access. Primary Care outgrew the space original designated for the program on the 1st floor. Primary Care Clinics were then relocated to the 8th and 9th floors but this space also proved to be inadequate as it only allowed for one examination room per provider. This was far short of the desirable two rooms per provider needed to allow for smoother patient flow. There was also no space for anticipated growth in residency programs and other areas of special emphasis.
Consistent with the Eligibility Reform Act of 1998, the newly reconfigured space allows the veteran comprehensive and efficient access to primary care services. The project design reconfigured former inpatient space making it appropriate for Primary Care clinic functions and operations. In renovating the 9th floor, room sizes were reduced from 369 to 120 square feet and the number of outpatient exam/treatment rooms was increased from 37 to 72. The clinic is designed in such a way as to minimize the amount of space needed to perform each function, improve the flow of patients through the clinic, and maximize the productivity of each staff member involved in the care process. In addition, providers are no longer using exam rooms as office space. In making these functions separate, examination/treatment space can be used more effectively. The investment was in direct support of Veteran Health Administration (VHA) Goals: put quality first until first in quality; provide easy access to medical knowledge, expertise and care; enhance, preserve and restore patient function; exceed patients expectations; maximize resources used to benefit veterans; and build healthy communities.