Project Overview

Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center is a nonprofit, Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in Salida, CO. The hospital serves visitors to and the residents of the Upper Arkansas Valley and San Luis Valley, which include Salida, Buena Vista, Poncha Springs, Villa Grove, Saguache, Granite, Howard, and surrounding communities.

Timeline

Design Objectives

After multiple site visits, discussions with staff, and feedback from departments, RTA has developed the
following design objectives to inform the facility master plan and drive the proposed building
additions and tenant improvements to the existing facility and campus.

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

The emergency department census has grown significantly since the original design was completed and built. As a result, there is a need for additional offices, documentation areas, workstations, storage, and meeting spaces to accommodate the increased number of staff.

Additionally, the current exam rooms are not sized properly which has reduced the efficiency of workflows within the space. There is a need for dedicated behavioral health rooms along with an FGI-required decontamination shower at the emergency entry point.

The entry to the emergency department lacks a drop-off zone for patients and visitors, proper registration and waiting space, and privacy for family members, visitors, and patients. The connection of the main entry and registration to a dedicated drop-off point is a vital portion needed for the Emergency Department to allow for community wayfinding and patient safety.

Action Items

Existing Site Plan

 Department Floor Plan

 Proposed Site Plan

Overview of Needs:

The Imaging Department patient census has grown since the initial design and construction of the department. Currently, there is a need for expanded CT services along with an FGI-compliant MRI suite design.

With the growth in cases and services, the Imaging Department needs additional storage for equipment, clean linens, soiled linens, clean supplies, and medications. Staff workspace is also a pinch point for the department and the flow from the radiologist to the techs is not ideal.

Because of the growth, the patient and family wait areas for longer scans such as the MRI or CT are distant from the procedures themselves. HRRMC needs dedicated waiting and consult areas for patients and families when they need to speak with the radiologist.

Overall patient and staff privacy and noise transmission need to be improved upon to ensure HRRMC can continue providing a high level of care into the future.

Action Items

Existing Site Plan

Department Floor Plan

Proposed Site Plan

COMMUNITY WELLNESS

PATIENT EXPERIENCE

STAFF SUCCESS

SAFETY & SECURITY

GROWTH & EXPANSION

• Enhance visitor comfort by increasing the size of the waiting room 

• Reduce background noise to better calm patients
• Relocated pain clinic that aligns with the Imaging Department
• Optimized same-day surgery intake and patient flow

• Improve staff lockers, lounge, and support space
• Increase and optimize equipment storage spaces
• Create access to sterile supply, case cart staging, and material flow
• Improve corridor connections

• Increase OR space to improve sterility
• Enhance, expand, and relocated SPD and distribution of sterile supplies 

• Accommodate for increased caseload
• Increase available storage space
• Expanded surgical service lines with 2 new Operating Rooms and additional PACU bays
• Development of a separte Pain Clinic with dedicated Pre/Post bays

 Existing

 Proposed

Overview of Needs:

The current registration space is not able to accommodate the number of patients and visitors that HRRMC has daily. The existing entry vestibule is narrow and doesn’t allow for a clear flow of traffic into or out of the hospital.

The current registration desks lack privacy and clear directions for walk-in patients and scheduled patients. With the current layout, registration kiosks are not an option for effective patient and visitor control.

The registration area needs consult rooms, clear waiting areas, and staff support spaces such as staff lockers, a lounge, and toilet facilities dedicated to the staff.

Safety, security, and confidentiality are the main concerns with the entry and registration and will be a priority to assess during the master plan process.

Action Items

 Existing Site Plan

Department Floor Plan

Proposed Site Plan

Link to Registration Scheme 2

Overview of Needs:

As it exists today, the C-Suite needs additional office space and conference rooms. With future growth anticipated, it is necessary to plan for three to four offices to be added to the C-Suite within the next ten years. This growth can be accomplished through strategic moves of administrative functions within the facility.

Currently, the Human Resources (HR) department is located within the C-Suite. It would be ideal for the HR staff and offices to be relocated to the first floor near the main entrance for easy access by staff and individuals applying for jobs.

If HR can move and the foundation and marketing teams are able to take over portions of the existing medical records space, the C-Suite could easily expand its office space and capture back the conference room. This is all dependent on the ability for medical records to shrink their workspace as physical records and storage areas are being eliminated with new digital record management systems.

Action Items

Existing Site Plan

Department Floor Plan

Proposed Site Plan

Link to C Suite Scheme 2

Overview of Needs:

The current materials management area needs dedicated space for unboxing and organization of materials prior to them being placed in their respective areas for staff to access supplies.

Part of the problem with the existing layout is the loading dock, which is currently undersized and unable to protect staff and materials from the outside environment due to a high ceiling and an insufficient overhang. The inability to process deliveries properly upon arrival leads to complexities for materials management staff.

With the growth of HRRMC and the fact materials management services all the hospital and the 2018 medical office building, the materials management department has outgrown its existing space and needs additional storage areas. This includes storage for carts that the staff members use to “shop” for supplies. Additionally, the current shelf system for supply stocking is not effective and materials management staff have relayed that the workflow with the current system is not sustainable long term as the facility continues to grow.

Action Items

Department Location

Department Floor Plan

Proposed Site Plan

Overview of Needs:

RTA is exploring options for a future observation unit expansion to the existing med/surg wing of the hospital. This expansion would be on the second floor of the facility and would exist over the Emergency Department addition.

It is through conversation with the hospital that we have identified a need for a 10-bed unit that has private rooms each equipped with a private toilet. A shared shower room would be designed into the unit for patients that have stayed overnight for observation.

Action Items

Existing Site Plan

Department Floor Plan

Proposed Site Plan

Overview of Needs:

Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center is situated west of Highway 291 on the northern side of Salida, CO. Currently, the hospital site has both physical and functional constraints.

There is an immediate need to remedy patient and visitor entry to the existing buildings. This requires site interventions that include new drive aisles, new patient and visitor drop-off points, and cohesive parking for staff. Along with parking, there is a need to develop more streamlined paths of pedestrian travel to the building for staff, patients, and visitors.

The loading and receiving dock need to be expanded which requires the trash compactors and the oxygen farm to be relocated on the site. With open development plots to the north, HRRMC needs to identify future operational growth markets to determine which market sectors future medical office buildings would cater to. This will change the overall development and scheme of the HRRMC campus. 

Action Items