A ‘Whole-You’ approach

Inside ACPNY’s Elmhurst Medical Office’s commitment to providing greater healthcare access to patients in NYC’s five boroughs

The premise is simple: AdvantageCare Physicians (ACPNY) is dedicated to elevating the quality and accessibility of care in the communities it serves by addressing populationlevel health concerns where they begin.

Thanks to TPG Architecture, ACPNY built a place where health care professionals can provide the best in primary and specialty care practice. ACPNY’s community-based “whole you” approach offers coordinated care to patients across New York City’s five boroughs and Long Island.

The TPG design team worked closely with the ACPNY design and specialty medical teams to bring to life a premier working environment and a soothing experience for patients. The new medical center features pre-established ACPNY design standards and graphics to create a modern, comfortable interior environment.

We sat down with Al Thompson, Managing Executive and Studio Director of TPG Architecture’s Long Island, New York office, to get a peek into the facility.

Describe the overall project.

EmblemHealth enlisted TPG to facilitate the relocation of their facility to a larger space in order to expand their services and meet the needs of their patients. This state of the art two-story facility offers a radiology suite with advanced healthcare technology including an X-ray and ultrasound, as well as Pediatric, OB/GYN, and Optometry services.

The ground floor also accommodates EmblemHealth’s Neighborhood Care, which provides in-person customer support, access to community resources, classes, and programming to help the entire community learn healthy behaviors. Additional project features include examination rooms, efficient nurses’ stations, and private offices.

What were the goals of the project?

The team worked closely with the ACPNY design and specialty medical teams to bring to life the best work environment and the most soothing for patients. The result of this partnership was the creation of a modern, comfortable interior environment.

Were there any challenges?

The new medical center features pre-established ACPNY design standards and graphics to create a modern, comfortable interior environment. TPG creatively applied these standards in the waiting rooms to create diverse environments in each medical suite.

How does the facility’s overall design cater to what the facility managers were looking for?

A well-organized plan with clean circulation, good patient flow and convenient waiting areas are essential to provide a pleasant patient experience.

Talk about the continued importance of sustainability today. What are you doing to be a sustainable practice?

Our commitment to sustainability and wellness is best reflected in our own NYC Certified LEED Silver office. Our workplace is highly flexible, which helps extend the life cycle of the design as a whole. We follow traditional views of sustainability including the use of sustainable materials, energy-efficient lighting and plumbing fixtures and the investment in wind power.

What type of opportunities do you see moving ahead in healthcare design?

Telemedicine and outpatient facilities continue to be strong sectors in health care.

What design trends are you seeing in the healthcare sector? Hospitals will continue to want flex spaces that can support different levels of care, and surge with the next pandemic/ crisis.

What should we expect to see six to 12 months down the road?

At this time; post-pandemic and the economic environment, I cannot predict. I only know it will continue to change.

What kind of conversations about the “new normal” are you having with your customers? Staff?

Be flexible, the new normal continues to evolve, and take care of yourself physically and mentally. There are a lot of stressors today and we all have to work through them.

What is the secret to creating a “must-visit” facility in today’s competitive landscape?

The project is a HUB for EmblemHealth, which is a “Whole You” coordinated care approach. This allows patients to visit this location for myriad specialties. They have urgent care, imaging, OB-GYN, pediatrics, primary care, optometry and community affairs, which educate the residents about health care.

“One-on-One with... TPG’s Al Thompson

Describe a typical day.

What I love about this profession is that every day is different. Most days I am meeting with colleagues to review projects, schedules, staffing, etc. Each project is unique to the client, size, and complexity and all require attention. My favorite part of the day is the morning when I am recharged and can start the day fresh with a clean slate.

What’s the best advice you ever received?

Work hard and always try to do good.

What’s the best thing a client ever said to you?

“I’m at Elmhurst ACPNY today. It’s stunning. This is my new favorite office. The staff is raving. Really cool to see how this went from concept to reality. Congrats.”

— Beth Leonard Chief Corporate Affairs Officer and Senior VP, Emblem Health Family

of Companies

Aran McCarthy, AIA, NCARB, has focused his career on healthcare design and innovative architecture as the principal of healthcare at FCA. Over the past 22 years, Aran has led collaborative teams for a variety of notable healthcare clients across the US and Europe.

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