In its latest project for HealthEast Care System, the firm developed the medical office building with features and amenities suggested by patients to improve their experience
The new HealthEast Clinic – Vadnais Heights incorporates a light-filled, welcoming reception area, additional space for families, greater patient privacy, more parking and other ideas patients recommended to enhance their experience. Davis completed the new Class A medical office building in late July and it opened in mid-August.
VADNAIS HEIGHTS and MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Aug. 22, 2018 – When officials at HealthEast Care System decided to replace their outdated, at-capacity clinic in Vadnais Heights, they surveyed their patients, asking them what they and their families want in a new clinic.
Those patients recently had the opportunity to see their ideas become a reality when HealthEast opened the new 18,667 square foot Class A medical office building (MOB) at 480 Highway 96 East at the corner of Highway 96 and Oak Grove Parkway in Vadnais Heights, a northern suburb of St. Paul, Minn.
The MOB was developed and is owned by Davis, a national healthcare real estate (HRE) development, property management, brokerage and investment firm headquartered in Minneapolis. Davis worked closely with HealthEast leadership and incorporated its patients’ ideas into the new clinic. This included a light-filled, welcoming reception area, additional space for families and children, rooms and amenities that provide greater patient privacy, and additional parking.
Dr. Elizabeth Wagner, the Vadnais Heights clinic Medical Director, wanted to find out what it would take to create an exceptional patient experience so she spearheaded the idea of surveying the clinic’s patients. She and the project planning team, which included clinic employees, found some clear trends in the surveys.
“We found out that patients wanted a roomier, more inviting welcome space with natural lighting and child-friendly areas,” Dr. Wagner says. “More privacy was desired for things like getting weighed or having blood drawn. And people wanted to know what new technology might be available.”
Some of the patient-friendly innovations featured in the new clinic include: new vitals machines near exam tables to capture temperature and blood pressure readings and send data directly to patients’ electronic health records; a check-in experience that aims to immediately room individuals who are feeling ill; private patient rooms with services and lab tests done in the rooms; innovative chair that weighs patients and converts into an exam table; universal, multi-purpose rooms that can convert to exam rooms when needed; and separate room entrances/exits for patients and providers to offer greater patient privacy.
The new clinic provides a range of services and specialties, including family medicine, prenatal and OB/GYN care, podiatry, medication therapy management, diabetes education, care guides who provide support and resources, and access to all HealthEast services. The clinic also offers extended hours on Monday to 7 p.m. – another patient suggestion.
The Vadnais Heights clinic is Davis’ latest development project for HealthEast Care System, which includes four hospitals, 14 clinics, home care and a medical transportation center in the Twin Cities east metropolitan area. Davis also developed the 148,000 square foot HealthEast Clinic & Specialty Center in Maplewood, Minn. and worked with the health system on a large-scale consolidation at its St. John’s Hospital in Maplewood.
Davis Principal Mark A. Davis notes, “At Davis we are honored to once again have the opportunity to work with HealthEast to open a state-of-the-art medical office building. This facility in Vadnais Heights will bring first-class healthcare to the surrounding community.”
The architect for the project was bdh+young of Edina, Minn., and Timco Construction Inc. of Plymouth, Minn., is the general contractor.
About Davis
Davis, founded in 1986, is the pre-eminent Minnesota healthcare real estate firm and provides healthcare real estate development, property management, brokerage, investment and consulting services to health systems, hospitals, individual medical groups, specialty practices and other healthcare organizations. Over the past three years, the company has developed 350,000 square feet of Class A medical buildings at a total cost in excess of $100 million. It has also negotiated more than 250 healthcare property leases totaling 1.2 million square feet and completed over $400 million of investment sale transactions during that time. For more information, please visit www.davisrealestatemn.com.
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