Project category: Project in progress (October 2004)

Chief administrator: Garth Jackson, Chief Executive Officer, (541) 317-4764

Firm: Marshall Erdman & Associates, (608) 218-6326

Design team: Doug Furry, PE, Principal-in-Charge; Craig Olson, Project Architect; Thomas C. Wilson, AIA, Project Designer; Rich Dunham, AIA, Project Designer; Elizabeth Churchill, LEED-accredited, Site Designer

Total building area (sq. ft.): 129,600

Construction cost/sq. ft.: $158

Total cost (excluding land): $20,421,446

A patient-centered design and state-of-the-art care will promote the Institute for Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery as the premier facility for orthopedic and neurosurgical care in central Oregon. The facility will offer a wealth of affiliated specialty services, ambulatory surgery, and diagnostic imaging (including MRI) in one convenient location.

The designers have crafted an intimate space with familiar elements and a smooth patient flow to humanize the facility’s 129,600 square feet. Extensive glass and wood detailing will embrace regional design elements, while the blending of gray, tan, and terra-cotta shades will reflect the area landscape for a soothing effect. To delight patients upon their entry, a 24-foot waterfall will tumble from a lobby wall and give way to a gentle stream that meanders across the main entry space. Windows will welcome natural light into the facility, enhancing well-being and productivity.

Waiting areas will be located within clinical pods to evoke the sense of intimacy; each waiting area will be identified by a regional theme (desert, mountain, or rivers) that enhances wayfinding and, again, ties the facility to familiar natural elements.

Wireless technology will improve both physician convenience and medical outcomes. Digital imaging networked within the building and to the hospital will significantly improve efficiency, while the overall patient experience will benefit from this leading technology.

This complement of healing amenities and operational efficiencies is expected to grow the facility’s patient base and enhance its ability to attract and retain highly skilled staff.