ReadyMed Plus, a new walk-in medical facility and infusion suite in Worcester, Mass., is an example of Reliant Medical Group’s goal of delivering healthcare that’s most convenient for the way people live today. Reliant is a multispecialty medical group with more than 300 doctors and 2,500 employees located at more than 25 practice sites throughout central and MetroWest Massachusetts.

Having collaborated on several prior ReadyMed facilities as well as other projects, Reliant engaged Margulies Perruzzi Architects (MPA) and Cutler Associates to design/build the new ReadyMed Plus, which will open to the public in March 2016.

ReadyMed Plus is Reliant’s fifth walk-in medical care clinic in central Massachusetts to offer convenient, non-emergency medical services for adults, infants, and children.

The “Plus” at this location represents a new concept for ReadyMed: the addition of an infusion suite for a variety of needs, from hydration to antibiotics. Introducing an infusion suite within an urgent care center with adjacent parking provides patients with the most comfortable and convenient way to receive intravenous antibiotics and chronic illness infusion drugs.

ReadyMed Plus is a 14,000-square-foot building on a highly visible corner of a retail overlay district in Worcester. To promote a more active streetscape in this retail district, the City of Worcester required new buildings to be constructed at the sidewalk. MPA designed ReadyMed Plus as a hub for this emerging neighborhood, siting the building prominently on the corner and placing the parking lot for 76 cars adjacent to the building for staff and patients.

Based on the success of the delivery models used in Reliant’s other centers, the ReadyMed Plus facility features three medical suites and a large reception area with electronic self-service check-in kiosks and a concierge-style greeter for information and assistance. Reliant recognized the symbiosis of care between the three medical spaces, as urgent care patients often need several services and greater medical supervision.

The urgent care suite is divided into two pods of eight exam rooms each, with a section designated for pediatrics. While each pod can operate independently at lower volume, the interaction between the pods provides collaboration between providers during busy times. The exam rooms are set up specifically for simple surgical procedures, testing, and monitoring.

Catering to patients for simple hydration or regular infusion treatment, the infusion suite provides 10 bays in a combination of private and more open settings. The imaging suite offers readily available X-ray, ultrasound, and CT scan radiology.

One challenge of the project was to provide a waiting area that accommodates all patients but separates those who are ill or need urgent care from those who require routine (healthy) infusions. The design splits the waiting areas into two spaces, with one designated for infusion patients only. The main waiting area also contains a child-friendly space.

It’s anticipated that Reliant will realize great efficiencies by colocating and sharing resources among these three medical suites in the new ReadyMed Plus.