For more information, contact: Tim Burke, 651-241-8934
New Allina Medical Clinic – Ramsey designed for patients by patients
RAMSEY, Minn. 06/06/2011--When patients enter the new Allina Medical Clinic - Ramsey for the first time, they might have a sense of déjà vu. The clinic, which opens Monday, June 6, may seem familiar because it was designed and built with input from patients themselves.
Patients played a role in the design of the new Allina Medical Clinic - Ramsey. The clinic held patient focus groups before construction. They talked about everything from accent colors to technology. The hope is to improve a patient's overall experience at the doctor's office.
The new clinic replaces Allina's old clinic at 5300 Alpine Drive NW. It has about 10 percent more floor space, but uses it much more, resulting in nearly twice as many exam rooms and innovative features designed with patient input.
"In design, we used to think about form and function. Now we're also thinking about 'feel,'" said Choy Leow, director of Allina Design & Construction. "With this clinic, we're creating an experience and trying to make the environment a lot more hospitable, welcoming and warm."
Surveys and focus groups helped Allina determine priorities and must-haves for the new clinic. Then, everything from the number of windows, furniture arrangement, technology and use of accent colors was considered in terms of how they could improve a patient's experience.
Map and directions
The new location is at
7231 Sunwood Drive NW at the intersection of Ramsey Boulevard NW and Sunwood Drive NW near Highway 10.
The clinic is located at 7231 Sunwood Drive NW in the Center of Ramsey (COR) development at the intersection of Ramsey Boulevard NW and Sunwood Drive NW.
It serves patients of all ages, with an emphasis on preventive medicine and overall health and wellness. In addition to 15 providers practicing family medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics and podiatry, the new clinic will continue to feature a Sister Kenny® Sports & Physical Therapy Center with four physical therapists. But that's where the similarities to the previous clinic on Alpine Drive NW end.
The new lobby was designed with an expanse of windows to bring in as much natural light as possible. That's because natural light helps put people at ease. Throughout the clinic, skylights and windows on exam room doors will allow more natural light to reach people.
"Having that visual connectivity to the outside is soothing," Leow explained. "It connects them to their life outside of the medical setting."
Thanks to 19 additional exam rooms and two additional treatment rooms, patients will appreciate shorter wait times, said Ramsey clinic manager Becky Forsell.
Seven of the 37 total exam rooms will be oversized family exam rooms, a suggestion that came directly from patient focus groups. "These larger rooms will be so much more comfortable for parents who must bring multiple children to appointments, or for older patients who often bring caregivers along," Forsell said. "We even made the doorways and halls wider to accommodate double-strollers and wheelchairs."
The clinic will also be well positioned to employ technology to improve the patient experience. A solar energy panel near the front entrance will provide power for the clinic's exterior lighting. In the future, the solar panel will power a charging station in the parking area for electric vehicles. A monitor in the lobby will display energy savings from the solar panel.
Self-service kiosks, similar to those found in an airport, will be installed in early 2012 to speed the patient registration process. The larger family exam rooms will soon feature large wall-mounted screens for patient education. And every room features a printer so clinic staff can print health information and after-visit summaries without leaving the room or making the patient wait.
Recognizing that sustainable construction is important to patients and the community as a whole, the clinic was built according to the Green Guide for Health Care, which parallels the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) construction guidelines for sustainable health care design. Some of the green accommodations include a smaller parking lot for less storm water runoff, low-flow plumbing fixtures, occupancy sensor controls on lighting and even chargers for electric cars.
"Allina is committed to creating a positive patient experience," Leow said, "This clinic is our template moving forward."
About Allina Clinics
Allina Clinics a not-for-profit system of nearly 60 clinics including 42 Allina Medical Clinic locations, 12 Aspen Medical Group clinics and five Quello Clinic locations throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Allina Clinics are part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics which owns and operates 11 hospitals, and specialty medical services that provide hospice care, oxygen and home medical equipment, medical lab services and pharmacies. Allina Hospitals & Clinics and the latest health information can be found online at allina.com.
