Northwestern Medical Center Consolidates Busy Outpatient Services into New MOB

BURLINGTON, Vt. – E4H Environments for Health Architecture recently celebrated the official opening of Northwestern Medical Center’s new multi-specialty Medical Office Building in St. Albans, Vermont. The $32-million project is the third and final phase of the facility’s comprehensive master plan, designed to facilitate optimal treatment delivery to 45,000 patients treated annually by Northwestern Medical Center and Northwestern Occupational Health.

Positioned at the front entrance of the campus for ease of access, the two-story, 44,000-square-foot stand-alone medical office building will house urgent care, primary care, orthopedics and outpatient phlebotomy services. The configuration of the facility and the universality of exam room design allows for the efficient sharing of workspace and resources, such as imaging equipment. The second floor of the building has purposely been left vacant, allowing for strategic expansion of services based on future projected patient population needs. The medical office building features its own separate entrance, but connects directly to the newly opened medical clinics building near the hospital’s main entrance via an enclosed walkway.

The opening of the MOB completes Northwestern Medical Center’s three-phase addition and renovation project. In December 2016, the renovation of the main entrance and lobby area was completed, providing improved patient drop-off with two-way traffic flow, as well as centralized registration and enhanced way-finding throughout the facility. In spring of 2017, a medical clinics building addition at the front of the facility was completed, the addition includes cardiology, pulmonology, specialty clinics and OB/GYN services.

Nearing completion is the phased upgrade of the Inpatient Progressive Care Unit located within the main hospital. The addition has been open since spring of 2017 and the final renovations are nearing completion and will be open for service in January 2018. This project converts all inpatient bedrooms to private rooms, enhancing patients’ privacy, their families’ and friends’ visiting experience and delivery of services by caregivers. Undertaken with the support of capital campaign donors, Northwestern Medical Center’s completion of its master facility projects represents one of the most far-reaching upgrades of its physical plant and healthcare delivery model in Northwestern Medical Center’s 134-year history.

PC Construction is the construction manager on the project.

Photos courtesy of Stina Booth of Studio SB.