Gensler converted retail space to create the Columbia Primary Care Manhattan Valley in New York City, New York.

Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) is a leader in providing comprehensive patient care. Recognizing that each patient is unique, it sought to differentiate itself in a competitive market by creating a new medical office that emphasizes patient experience and team-based care. The practices will serve as an essential “front door” for communities to access world renowned expertise of Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian.

Occupying a former retail space in the Upper West Side, the facility reimagines the brand and experience of Columbia’s patient care in a more accessible and community-focused way. Co-locating with other specialties and other providers to accommodate a variety of medical needs including pediatric and adult primary care, this location features eight exam rooms, phlebotomy labs, and additional staff support spaces. The check-in and guest lounge are inspired by hospitality design, with guests greeted by a friendly concierge or a digital kiosk to check-in and receive an exam room number. Guests self-room to their exam room, which is designed to establish equity between patients and care providers with conversations conducted around a consultation table with a digital screen to promote transparency and comfort when making joint decisions about health and treatment plans. All services come to the patient in their designated exam room, including phlebotomy and ultrasound, to eliminate patient travel. The self-checkout experience is also intuitive and similar to a stay at a hotel.

The project also includes the creation of design standards for future additional primary care facilities in New York and surrounding communities. With the goal of rolling out three to four new facilities each year through 2024, this first location will set the standard for the branding, patient experience, and overall design for new sites to thrive in the highly competitive medical office industry. These clinics successfully reimagine the dynamics between patient and doctor to make medical experiences more positive, collaborative and welcoming.

Design: Gensler
Photography: Pavel Bendov, courtesy of Gensler