Clark/Kjos Architects has worked on the OHSU Marquam Hill campus on several tenant improvement projects that include the most recent emergency department renovation.

Emergency Department Renovation: Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) has one of the busiest emergency departments in the State of Oregon, and their patient volumes continue to grow. Even after healthcare reform, a significant proportion of patients still come to the emergency department with relatively minor health issues that could be treated in a primary care setting, thus slowing down the hospital’s ability to meet the needs of those needing true emergent care. In an effort to increase patient satisfaction scores, shorten wait times and reduce the number of patients who leave without being seen, OHSU worked with Clark/Kjos Architects to develop a design to improve efficiency and security in the triage and check-in area.

In this project, we replaced triage rooms with private and semi-private treatment bays that could be used for patient triage/assessment and for “fast-track” treatment for minor ailments and injuries. Staff is provided with a dedicated workspace to support efficient charting, medical care, patient movement and communication. We configured the check-in desk to allow nursing staff to participate more actively in the patient’s first encounter and to better monitor the waiting and treatment spaces. The end result is that OHSU now has a check-in and triage area that is more welcoming for patients, more secure for staff, and that supports OHSU’s goals of giving patients better and more efficient care in a flexible, highly-functional environment.

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