Inside Outpatient Health

From the inside out, the new Healthcare Consultation Center II offers patients a higher level of service and care.

by Jon Nalick

Considering all the care that went into designing USC’s newest medical facility, the Healthcare Consultation Center II (HCC II), it is not surprising that some of its main attractions are easy to see and appreciate.

The building overlooks rolling hills, palm trees and a courtyard with a flowing water sculpture. Inside, waiting rooms are spacious, airy and filled with natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows.
But, as its designers also intended, some of the most important aspects of the building may never be seen by patients. Still, their effects shorten waiting times, speed diagnoses and minimize noise. These include special digital charting and electronic record-keeping, and the ability of physicians to use a digital radiology system to view images and scan results electronically from remote locations or their offices.

Jeffry Huffman, M.D., president and chief executive officer of USC Care Medical Group, says, “Based on the feedback we’ve been getting from patients, physicians and staff, this building has exceeded all expectations. It really lives up to our desire for a flexible space that will provide the highest level of service in our patient-care delivery.”

The five-story building, located on San Pablo Street at the entrance to the Eamer Medical Plaza, opened in spring 2004 and immediately doubled the outpatient space available on the Health Sciences Campus. The new building houses physicians in internal medicine, orthopaedics, psychiatry, pain management, neurology, head and neck surgery, neurosurgery and cardiothoracic surgery.
At 238,000 square feet, the $49-million HCC II includes state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging facilities, including MRI and CT scanning, a multi-disciplinary medical clinic for special programs and services and clinic space for a number of specialties. The building incorporates a lab, physical therapy space and X-ray suites, so for many visitors there is no need to go to another building for tests or treatment.

“The design allows medical practices to expand or contract over time based on patient volume,” says Huffman. “Each floor offers core services such as patient waiting and reception areas, exam rooms, consultation areas and conference rooms.”

The guiding principle behind the HCC II was to create a “patient-centered facility that maximizes convenience, efficiency and comfort,” he says.

To that end, four elevators provide quick patient flow from the lower-level parking area directly to the physician floor. Doors throughout the building do not close automatically, allowing those with mobility problems unobstructed passage. In addition, a corridor links the lower level of the building with the original HCC and USC University Hospital, so patients and staff do not have to go outside in inclement weather.

The building also features several entrances to help alleviate traffic coming in and out of the Eamer Medical Plaza drive, including a special drop-off area near the lower Plaza entrance for radiology and endoscopy patients.

Construction materials used inside and outside the new building were chosen both for beauty and practicality. Special glass allows for greater energy efficiency. The tile and stone throughout the building were chosen not only for aesthetics, but also because of their ability to wear well and provide for easy maintenance. Additionally, carpeting in waiting areas and hallways was chosen for both appearance and sound control.

But Huffman says that the real beauty of the new building is how efficiency is literally built into its infrastructure.

For example, all clinic spaces are wired for digital charting and electronic record-keeping. Clinicians have the ability to access digital medical charts using wireless devices or personal computers, resulting in decreased reliance on paper, improved communication between practices and partner hospitals and improved access to clinical information.

“The tight integration of our information system has been successful and translates into faster patient registration and processing,” he says.

Another helpful innovation was the inclusion of a filmless radiology system that permits physicians to view images and radiology results electronically from remote locations or their offices. The system eliminates potential delays from having to physically carry X-ray film between floors because physicians can order a scan, have it reviewed immediately by a radiologist on a separate floor and get results back moments later.

Tammy Capretta, R.N., senior vice president and chief operating officer of USC Care Medical Group, says that innovations such as these are intended to streamline the behind-the-scenes work to avoid any inconvenience for patients.

“Patient satisfaction is largely based on how quickly physicians can be seen and how fast lab results are returned, so the more efficient we are in making those things happen, the better we can serve our patients—which is our main goal,” she says.

She notes that in settings where ambulatory patients are seen alongside urgent-care patients, urgent-care cases necessarily get priority in terms of space, physician and staff time and other limited resources. As a result, ambulatory patients can suddenly find a wait for a room or physician stretching much longer than anticipated. By devoting the entire HCC II and its personnel exclusively to ambulatory care, that source of frustration is eliminated.

Dale Rice, M.D., chair of the Department of Otolaryngology and the Leon J. Tiber and David S. Alpert Chair in Medicine, says that his patients have noticed the difference—and have gone out of their way to say so.

“Virtually every patient I have has mentioned how nice it is and how things flow so efficiently. They really feel that their waiting time is shorter and that they’re in and out faster.”

Monika Guttman contributed to this article.