Perhaps your staff members have been complaining about bumping into each other in the hall or sterilization area or tripping over cords and equipment in the procedure room. Your sterilizer and monitors may be clocking more downtime every year. The furniture may look dated, the walls faded, and the floor tile ragged. Meanwhile, you may be facing competition from corporate practice owners and you worry that when you retire, your practice won’t fetch much on the market.
It’s time to make some changes — perhaps a renovation, addition or even a new building. But given the responsibilities of running a busy practice, who has time to think it all through?
Architects specializing in animal care facilities and reputable contractors can bring a wealth of experience. But what if you could work through critical decisions before finalizing any plans — with no financial commitment? The Midmark team of design experts can help you do just that.
They will spend time evaluating your space, discussing your goals and recommending an optimal solution for you and your staff. They can uncover pitfalls before construction begins. Throughout the process, they will help you construct a layout for efficient workflow and give you the flexibility to choose from multiple configurations.
Begin at the Beginning: Workflow
Absent guidance, people tend to repeat what they’ve done before, says Scott Manning, senior manager of strategic accounts and construction at Midmark Animal Health. And veterinarians are no exception. Rather than making fundamental changes, they may stick to the status quo, adding equipment and people to the existing footprint.
“Veterinarians are good at making do with what they have,” Manning says. “But after a while, there’s just not enough space in which to work efficiently.”
That’s why, even before build-out, the practice owner’s discussion with the Midmark design team will begin with questions about workflow:
- How do you work during the day?
- Where are the bottlenecks?
- How do you envision working in the future?
Will It Pay Off?
Working with the Midmark design team not only gives the owner a chance to examine the current workflow, but also the opportunity to consider new ways to drive revenue. The Midmark team can help you calculate the ROI of a dentistry specialty, for example, and share best practices they’ve learned from experience. And because Midmark offers a broad portfolio of equipment and cabinetry for all veterinary specialties, they can help you see how the procedure room layout will work with the necessary equipment.
Boarding is another opportunity that many veterinarians are exploring. But as with dentistry, practice owners must plan for adequate space and suitable equipment if they hope to generate enough revenue to make the venture profitable. Design experts can help.
Planning With the Future in Mind
The COVID pandemic has changed the way veterinary practices accommodate clients and their pets, and chances are, its impact will be long-lasting. Some examples:
- The need for large reception areas and waiting rooms is diminishing. Can some of that space be converted to revenue-generating activities?
- Curbside service has become a way of life. How can better design help?
- Telehealth is an accepted part of human medicine and is increasingly used in veterinary medicine. Exam rooms must be versatile enough to accommodate in-person and virtual appointments.
Building your dream clinic can be both exciting and intimidating. But you don’t have to do it alone. By partnering with Midmark early in the process, you can design a practice that can help you be more efficient, retain talented staff and provide better clinical outcomes for your patients.