December 20, 2004
PAMF Selects NBBJ as Architect for New State-of-the-Art Medical Center in San Carlos
The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) today announced it has selected NBBJ to design its state-of-the-art medical center in San Carlos. NBBJ was chosen from among several firms recognized nationally for their design of health care facilities.
"NBBJ has unparalleled expertise in the planning and design of hospitals and medical facilities throughout the country," said David Druker, M.D., president and CEO of PAMF. "As we looked at proposals and met with a number of architecture firms, it became clear that NBBJ understood our vision for a truly world-class medical center in San Carlos and, most importantly, had the unique ability to design such a facility."
During the last 10 years, NBBJ has consistently been at the top of Modern Healthcare magazine's survey of health care architecture firms in the United States. The firm has planned and designed more than 50 hospitals and medical facilities in California and provided services to some of the country's leading hospitals. Campuses for multispecialty clinical care and integrated hospital care include projects such as the Cleveland Heart Clinic, Virginia Mason Medical Center, and the Mayo Clinic.
"We are excited about this partnership with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation," said Richard Dallam, a partner with NBBJ. "PAMF's focus on providing all patient services in one location at the San Carlos Center represents the future of health care and we intend to design a facility worthy of that vision.
"Our design philosophy is founded on the belief that architecture and health care are about two things: people and change. Based on our experience, we know that architectural elements can have an impact on patients' health, so we will delve deeply into the values, cultures and preferences of PAMF's staff members and patients to design this facility."
Initial plans for PAMF's San Carlos Center include a seismically safe, integrated medical campus, housing medical offices for more than 150 primary care and specialty physicians, laboratory and radiology services, outpatient surgery, an urgent care center, round-the-clock emergency care and a 110-bed, full-service, acute care hospital. The campus will also include specialty centers of excellence in areas such as cardiovascular care and oncology, as well as PAMF's nationally recognized computerized medical record system. By providing all services in one location, the San Carlos Center will improve quality, safety and efficiency of care for patients and reduce costs by eliminating duplication of services.
The new campus will also be open to the entire community, not just to patients and physicians who are already affiliated with PAMF. Non-PAMF physicians will be welcome to practice at the new medical center, and their patients will have access to the facility and its services - giving them another choice for where they receive medical care.
PAMF announced its selection of the San Carlos Center's location at 301 Industrial Road, north of the Holly Street/Highway 101 interchange, in May. The project is expected to bring more than 1,200 new health care jobs to San Carlos, as well as provide more than 1,000 union construction jobs as the facility is built. Pending city approval of the project, the campus could open by 2011.
The Palo Alto Medical Foundation for Health Care, Research and Education is a not-for-profit health care organization that is a pioneer in both multispecialty group practice of medicine and outpatient medicine. The foundation has three divisions: the Palo Alto Division, the Camino Division and the Santa Cruz Division. The Palo Alto Division, staffed by 290 physicians of the Palo Alto Medical Clinic, has provided a full range of care for Peninsula residents since it was founded in 1930. It operates satellite clinics in Fremont, Los Altos, Redwood Shores and Portola Valley. PAMF is part of the Sutter Health family of not-for-profit hospitals and physician organizations that share resources and expertise to advance health care quality. Serving more than 100 communities in Northern California, Sutter Health is a regional leader in cardiac care as well as care of women and children, and is a pioneer in advanced patient safety technology. For more information, visit www.pamf.org.
NBBJ is a leading architecture, design and planning practice with five offices in the United States and offices in London, Beijing and Dubai. NBBJ's 250 health care specialists include not only architects and planners who have devoted their careers to health care design, but health care practitioners who have developed specialized expertise in analyzing facility and operational requirements. NBBJ experts participate in and hold leadership roles in organizations such as AIA Committee on Architecture for Health, the American Association of Healthcare Consultants, the Healthcare Forum and the American Hospital Association.