In the 30 years that have passed since Mass General Brigham was founded, the ambulatory health facilities of the system were operated as outpatient clinics of academic medical centres. Surveys revealed, over time, that patients wanted more comprehensive and convenient community-based health care options than the hospital setting.
Lindsay Gainer is the enterprise vice president for community operations at MGB, Boston.
The new concept of Integrated Care (iCare) reimagines patient and provider experiences by creating a model that is more streamlined than the traditional hospital model. The traditional clinic layout separates medical services and only allows certain specialties to use exam rooms. However, the iCare design integrates multiple disciplines into one flexible and cohesive facility that promotes connection and collaboration.
MGB engaged Gensler in Chicago and Boston to design the interior and digital experience for this model. The health system used a templated iCare approach to meet its goal of opening a number of ambulatory clinics in accelerated succession.
Gainer says, “We didn’t wish to redo design and architecture planning each time.” The template was designed to be cost-effective so that we could scale up quickly.
