Acclaimed Wisconsin Medical Center Earns WELL GOLD Standing

By HCO Staff 

MADISON, Wis.—SSM Health Dean Medical Group’s South Madison Campus has been awarded WELL v2 Pilot GOLD Certification. As the largest WELL certified healthcare facility in the United States and the first WELL certified healthcare facility in Wisconsin, this achievement demonstrates SSM Health Dean Medical Group’s commitment to patient and employee health and well-being.    

Providing medical services to the Madison, Wisconsin area for over a century, SSM Health partnered with HGA to design a replacement facility for their former three-story, 60-year-old outpatient clinic on Fish Hatchery Road. The clinic had become inefficient and could not accommodate patient needs and the services they required. The new Specialty Services clinic improves patient access to lifesaving care by bringing dispersed services back to the South Madison facility.  

The Specialty Services clinic is SSM Health Dean Medical Group’s largest ambulatory facility at 175,000 square feet and is the healthcare system’s flagship location. Designed by HGA and completed in 2022, the facility is home to more than 100 providers and over 18 specialty clinics including consolidated oncology, orthopedics, therapy, and women’s services.  

“Designing a highly functional and sustainable facility for SSM Health that prioritizes environmental and inhabitant health was an exciting and rewarding challenge,” said Paul Widlarz, principal with HGA. “We meticulously considered every detail, from materials to window placement and amenities. Achieving the WELL v2 Pilot GOLD Certification is exactly what we aimed for.”  

Upon entering the clinic, patients and visitors are welcomed into a large registration area with direct access to assisted and self-registration options. Services on the first floor include medical imaging, a pharmacy and lab, and a café for employees and guests.    

Extensive therapy services fill the second floor including a physical therapy gym; industrial rehab gym; exam space for ENT services and state-of-the-art audiology labs; comprehensive orthopedics including joints, podiatry, and sports medicine. Waiting areas for patients and visitors are on the outer edges of the building, showcasing views of surrounding nature through floor-to-ceiling windows. Access to daylight is highly emphasized throughout the building in patient and staff spaces creating an environment that is both compassionate and empathetic to the needs of the people who use the building.   

The third floor is dedicated to primary care services, while the fourth floor provides opportunities to expand services at the South Madison campus in the future.   

Cancer care services and providers are located on the fifth floor. Bays in the four infusion neighborhoods offer views of Lake Wingra and the UW Arboretum. Calm colors and soft lighting create a healing environment for the open infusion bays and seven private rooms.  

One of SSM Health’s values is Stewardship including the responsible use of natural resources and care for the environment. That value extends to the building’s interior and the health and wellness of its occupants as evidenced by the WELL v2 Pilot GOLD Certification. The WELL Building Standard offers a holistic approach to health in the built environment using a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of buildings that impact human health and well-being.  

“SSM Health is dedicated to providing top-tier healthcare while prioritizing environmental sustainability and the well-being of our patients and staff,” said Kyle Prochaska, regional director of planning design and construction with SSM Health in Wisconsin. “Achieving the WELL v2 Pilot GOLD Certification underscores our commitment to the communities we serve.”  

Exceeding the standards for Gold Certification, the Clinic scored points in ten areas of focus including: air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind, and community. Health and wellness features incorporated into the clinic’s design include:  

A focus on indoor environmental quality through material selection   

• Views of surrounding nature through floor-to-ceiling windows  

• Access to daylight emphasized throughout the building in patient and staff spaces  

• Minimized local impact of emissions, noise, and light pollution   

• An open monumental staircase directly within the entry encourages patient and staff use while also doubling as an egress stair  

• Outdoor spaces designed for patient and staff respite and exercise  

• Hospital reception and waiting area with large windows and bright natural light 

In addition to occupant health and well-being, the clinic’s design is sustainable, with consideration for the environment and natural resources. The project received an Energy Star score of 80 — a typical building has a score of 50. The 30-point difference is the equivalent of removing greenhouse gas emissions from 460 average passenger cars from the roads each year. The building minimizes local impact of emissions, noise, and light pollution and exceeds Wisconsin’s energy code by 15%.   

Additional sustainable initiatives include the use of local materials and recycling programs to minimize the generation of waste and emissions during construction. Trees removed on site were repurposed into veneers and other wood elements in the new building. The clinic also features bird safe glass on the facade to minimize avian impacts.   

HGA and Affiliated Engineers, Inc. designed future expansion opportunities for renewables and alternate energy systems so SSM Health can stay close to its value of stewardship.   

The project has received two additional prestigious awards including the 2021 Gold Evidence-Based Design Touchstone Award from The Center for Healthcare Design and the 2021 Certificate of Research Excellence from the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA).   

In addition to Widlarz, the HGA project team included: Sara Kania, project manager; Tim Scanley, senior project designer; Megan Schmiedlin, senior medical planner; Tanya Chadha, senior medical planner; Kevin Vonderberg, senior project architect; Amy Lohaus, interior designer; Jeff Millmann, structural engineer; and Brent Peterson, senior industrial engineer.  

HGA’s project partners included: Findorff, general contractor; Affiliated Engineers, Inc., mechanical, electrical, plumbing engineer; Ayres Associates, civil engineer; and Saiki Design, landscape architect.