Patterson Health Center to Offer Innovative Model for Rural Health Care

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Gould Evans, in partnership with Kahler Slater, McCownGordon Construction, Grand Construction and Hospital Districts #5 and 6 of Harper County, Kansas, has designed the new Patterson Health Center, which promises to offer a new model for the systemic improvement of healthcare delivery and the health of rural communities. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the campus recently.

The 62,500-square-foot facility will be an anchor for a health campus organized around community engagement, and is programmed to improve the health status of the entire county population. The project will consolidate the current clinic, hospital and rehabilitation services offered in both Harper and Anthony, Kansas, uniting the two communities in one place, under one roof.

Gould Evans and Kahler Slater’s design of the new campus addresses the fundamentals that are inherent to the characteristics of rural life, including changing demographics and the economic stresses facing many rural hospitals across America.

The Patterson Health Center will be a new model for rural healthcare sustainability, offering an innovative approach to standard clinic programming that provides care teams with the greatest flexibility to respond to the changing health care landscape.

The integrated care team layout brings patient rooms, staff working areas and service provider offices together in one place, creating a centralized, off-stage collaboration space. This allows for more interaction among the care teams and a more streamlined approach to patient care and health outcomes.

The facility combines a health clinic with various aspects of a community center, allowing the space to be used not only for treatment, but also for education, prevention and complete long-term wellness. These community spaces include:

• Wellness Center – dedicated area for group and individual fitness
• Community Center – future facility for more generous indoor fitness capabilities
• Café – central area that offers local, “not hospital” food, banter and space for gatherings
• The Yard – open, central green space for community events such as art fairs, movies, school programs, etc.
• Community gardens – dedicated space for garden activities with a food bank and volunteer office
• Rural Health Institute – future office for flexible education spaces and offices for health-centered programs
• Trail system – dedicated to both Harper and Anthony; used for physical therapy, rehabilitation and community activity

McCownGordon Construction will lead construction of the new Patterson Health Center.