Right-Sizing a Surgery Department Through Simulation

Performing nearly 30,000 surgeries per year, Riverside Methodist Hospital has one of the busiest surgery departments in Central Ohio. In support of their vision to be the place patients want to go when they need healthcare services, they wanted to modernize their 90,000 SF surgical department to provide a direct benefit for patients, physicians and associates. 

Our team worked with the staff to run two simulations of surgery patients using heaviest volume days and longest case days. The first simulation used the existing plan and showed inefficiencies in the current workflow. The second simulation used the proposed plan with fewer patient bays and proved adequate space for heaviest volume days. 

The existing floor plan had 24 total OR’s. In order to accommodate robotics, four smaller OR’s were converted into three larger OR’s. 

DesignGroup worked closely with two equipment planners, one national and one local, to provide best practice approaches and recommendations to the hospital. Early engagement with the equipment vendors allowed equipment to be integrated into the design instead of becoming an afterthought.

The project originally included two classrooms for medical education, but it quickly became apparent that now was the right time to build a Medical Education Center as a tool for physician training. Additional space was provided, and additional funding procured to construct the new Drs. Gregory and Rebecca Gibbons Medical Education Conference Center.