New Article Published on How Office Based Design Regulations Impact Medical Office Design

Bernstein & Associates, Architects is pleased to announce the publication of a new article on medical office design, entitled “Impact of the New Office Based Surgery Regulations on Design of Medical Offices”.

- Over the last 20 years, as the practice of office based surgery has increased, so have the regulations adapted by state health departments.
- The goal of these new office based surgery regulations
- Medical staff must now follow certain regulations when performing invasive or surgical procedures that use more than minimal sedation.
- a large part of these new guidelines pertains to the design, planning and construction of an office based surgery center
- Each state has its own rules and regulations governing medical procedures performed in the office: some, like Florida, spell out their own requirements, while others, including New York as of July 14, 2009, have medical offices turn to outside accreditation agencies.
- In New York, the three organizations selected by the government for accreditation are the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF), the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), and the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).
- Other states add Medicare Guidelines as an option for certification. While these various regulatory agencies agree on most of the criteria needed for office based surgery accreditation, they each emphasize different points and have different specific rules and environmental requirements, so it is important to understand the differences between the various regulations prior to selecting one for application on a particular project.
- Excerpts from guidelines provided
- AAAASF excerpts re Office Based Design
- AAAHC excerpts re: Office Based Design
- JCAHO excerpts re: Office Based Design
- Conclusion: important differences between the regulations of three main accreditation agencies --- AAAASF, AAAHC, and JCAHO --- in terms of the design of an accredited office based surgery facility. The individual regulations should be carefully studied to evaluate which if the three regulations is most appropriate for a particular practice and facility.
The article was written by the firm’s principle, a well-known expert in green healthcare design, William N. Bernstein, LEED®AP, AIA.

About Bernstein & Associates, Architects: Founded in 1990, this company is an award-winning healthcare architectural firm specializing in healthcare design, including medical office design, as well as how the new Office Based Surgery guidelines impact medical office design. The firm takes pride in providing the highest level of sustainable healthcare and hospital design work, with additional expertise, energy saving measures for hospitals, cost reduction strategies for hospitals, hospital safety and patient safety.

For Office Based Surgery Design see, http://bernarch.com/healthcare-design-office-based-surgery/

For more information about medical office design, as well as how the new Office Based Surgery guidelines impact medical office design, please contact:

William N. Bernstein, LEED®AP, AIA – Principal
Bernstein & Associates, Architects - PLLC
59 West 19th Street - 6A New York, NY 10011
Telephone: 212.463.8200
Fax: 212.463.9898
Email: info@bernarch.com
www.bernarch.com