Medical Center Consolidates Outpatient Services
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital System recently opened the doors of its new Valley Specialty Center, a 244,000-square-foot facility that consolidates 22 outpatient specialty services.
The new center — a $151 million project built with $129 million in bond money, $15 million from the San Jose Redevelopment Agency and money from the Valley Medical Center Foundation, among other sources — replaces the previous facility that was aging and burdened with more patients than it was built to handle, according to hospital officials.
“While we face very challenging fiscal and budgetary issues, VSC is a ke
y component in our ability to provide vital healthcare services, and to do so in a more efficient, effective and responsible way,” says Kim Roberts, CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital System.
The center, designed by San Francisco-based Anshen + Allen architecture firm, was planned to increase efficiencies by keeping doctor and staff offices near clinical areas. Services are streamlined to eliminate the need for patients to travel to several locations for appointments, lab tests and other services. The design also allows for reconfiguration of space to accommodate new equipment, according to hospital officials.
In addition to saving patients time, the building is designed to save energy. Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s saving by design program, which provides incentives and resources to designers for building energy-efficient structures, was used to integrate energy-saving features, according to designers.
“Through a variety of energy conservation measures, including energy-efficient mechanical systems, exterior solar shading devices and natural daylight in interior spaces, the building will use 18 percent less energy than equivalent buildings designed to meet state Title 24 minimum energy standards,” says Peter Schlosser, an architect at Anshen + Allen. “As a result, VSC will conserve natural resources while creating an interior environment that enhances comfort, health and productivity for its users while reducing its overall operating costs.”
More than 500 employees, including 300 physicians, work at the Valley Specialty Center. The building has 850 rooms, including 190 dedicated exam rooms. Annual patients visits are expected to be about 265,000 per year, according to hospital officials.
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