In 2021, Spectrum Health, a not-for-profit healthcare provider based in West Michigan, initiated a project to bring together outpatient services housed in 10 clinics across its Butterworth Hospital campus in Grand Rapids, Mich., under one roof. The effort was part of a regional strategy aimed at improving patients’ access to primary and specialty care close to home.
As Spectrum Health began planning that concept, it was faced with an unexpected reality: There was no consistency in exam room size or patient registration among the 10 clinics—or across the entire system. The healthcare organization decided to expand the scope of the project to not only design and build a new 12-story ambulatory care center but also create a new outpatient care model for the health system, says Anthony Mistretta, principal, health, at Perkins&Will (Chicago), the architecture and interior design firm on the project, which also helped to create the new systemwide operational models.
In February 2022, the project goals shifted again when Spectrum merged with Beaumont Health to create Corewell Health, forming Michigan’s largest health system. The new organization comprises 21 hospitals and more than 300 outpatient locations across the state. “That transition [merger] elevated a regional effort into a systemwide initiative,” says Rodney VanderZand, director of planning, design, and construction at Corewell Health. “We really wanted to create a new environment for those patients and visitors coming to our campus.”
Rethinking patient arrival
Before delivering a new approach to outpatient care, the project team first had to build consensus on a model among patients and staff of the 10 clinics that would be consolidated in the new ambulatory center. “One of the challenges was that the existing clinics not only had slightly different layouts, but team members were used to working in different ways,” says Lindsey Duffy, medical planner at Perkins&Will. “We had to envision what a new ideal patient and provider experience would offer, and many members of the stakeholder committee liked the current functionality of their clinics.”
To help guide those discussions, a stakeholder committee was formed, and patient and staff workshops were held to outline the current state of operations and facility layout, identify pain points in clinical and internal processes, and weigh options and opportunities for improvement.
For patients, a primary concern shared was the ease of usability and access of outpatient clinics. While users welcomed the idea of a one-stop facility to replace their current care journey to multiple locations, they expressed confusion with the check-in process, which varied among clinics, with some locations utilizing mainly self-registration kiosks while others relied on staff to manage the process. In the new model, the project team aimed to balance operational efficiency with patients’ desire for human interaction by utilizing self-registration kiosks, with staff support on hand to help troubleshoot any issues with the automated system.
“Providers and staff heard first-hand what patients had historically experienced, including the need to navigate multiple registration processes across different clinics. From this, it was clear the value it would bring to have one, consistent, branded patient experience,” Mistretta says.
Additionally, the ground-floor lobby and waiting areas are designed to establish a feeling of calm utilizing a palette of neutral colors such as white, gray, and light blue in the walls, floors, and furniture, and warm wood accents. “Our core goal as we were thinking about this building was that it has to be welcoming, inviting, and functional for everybody who engages in it,” Mistretta says.
Redesigning exam rooms to improve staff safety
At the same time, the project team sought to address concerns from the clinical staff about how the facility should function, with the most significant sticking point being the layout and design of exam rooms. Specifically, clinicians expressed a critical need for a flexible exam room module that could accommodate the different specialties and varying space requirements. For example, a women’s health clinic might need more space for procedures and less for exams, while a cardiovascular clinic has a greater need for exam space.
After considering existing exam room sizes, which varied by specialty, the team decided to follow the industry standard of 120 square feet for the module, with the option to convert two exam rooms to one larger procedural space where needed. The standardized room approach also enables smoother transitions as specialty program needs change in the future. “It’s plumbed, lined, and able to convert with minimal construction and downtime,” Mistretta says.
Another top-of-mind issue the project team sought to address through the new room design is staff safety. “While provider and patient safety have always been a priority, healthcare organizations across the country have seen an increase in safety incidents in recent years,” Corewell Health’s VanderZand says.
To help test ideas, the project team created a physical mockup of the exam room to configure into different layouts, each with zones for patients, families, and providers. “We went through multiple iterations of what that looked like,” Mistretta says. “How do we create a clinical space where the patient feels that they’re being seen in a comfortable environment—where we’re maintaining that critical eye contact of the triangle of care from provider to patient to family and support—but also where our staff feel safe?”
Through this process, “it became clear that we needed to move the provider closer to the door,” Mistretta says. “This allows the provider to have quick access to the exit if necessary.” Furthermore, the result of addressing these staff concerns, VanderZand says, is “a new facility that supports staff confidence and well-being while maintaining a patient-centered approach.”
Building the future of outpatient care
Opened in January 2025, the Corewell Health Ambulatory Care Center is organized with clinical space on the top six floors of the building. Support spaces for both staff and patients are housed on the middle floors, including shared workspace on Level 5, a fitness center on Level 4, and a staff break room and public café on Level 3. A simulation center occupies Level 2. Leveraging the flexible exam room module, a wound and ostomy clinic that needed more space was able to convert three 10-by-12 rooms into two.
VanderZand says Corewell Health is already applying the model established by this project to new building plans throughout the state of Michigan, including an estimated $75 million ambulatory care center in Royal Oak, Mich., which began construction last September. Eventually, the healthcare organization aims to apply the guidelines to renovations and updates of existing facilities over time. “This approach is changing the future of care delivery at Corewell Health,” he says.
Robert McCune is senior editor of Healthcare Design and can be reached at [email protected].
Corewell Health Ambulatory Care Center Project Details
Location: Grand Rapids, Mich.
Completion date: November 2024
Owner: Corewell Health
Total building area: 240,000 sq. ft.
Total construction cost: $129 million
Cost/sq. ft.: $537.50
Architect: Perkins&Will
Interior designer: Perkins&Will
General contractor: The Christman Company
Medical equipment planner: Introba
Builder: The Christman Company
AV equipment/electronics/software: Echo Healthcare, Elevate Healthcare
Carpet/flooring: Lansing Tile & Mosaic
Carpet: Lansing Tile & Mosaic
LVT: Lansing Tile & Mosaic
Rubber floor: Lansing Tile & Mosaic
Sheet vinyl: Lansing Tile & Mosaic
Epoxy floor: Welch Tile & Marble
Rubber base: Lansing Tile & Mosaic
Tile flooring: Welch Tile & Marble
Ceiling/wall systems: Bouma Corporation
Acoustic ceiling tile: Bouma Corporation
Ceiling clouds at reading area: Bouma
Paint: Eckhoff & Devries
Tile: Welch Tile & Marble
Doors/locks/hardware: D&D Building, Knight Watch (security)
Fabric/textiles: Designtex
Furniture—seating/casegoods: Christman Facility Solutions
Handrails/wall guards: Christman Facility Solutions
Headwalls/booms: Skytron
Lighting: General: Buist Electric (general), Buist Electric (accent)
Signage/wayfinding: Corewell Health
Surfaces—solid/other: Strata Design
Laminate for Millwork: Strata Design
Quartz: Strata Design
Solid Surface: Strata Design
Wallcoverings: Eckhoff & Devries
Project details are provided by the design team and not vetted by Healthcare Design.
