The University of Rochester Medical Center’s Saunders Center for Orthopaedics and Physical Performance is one of the largest outpatient orthopaedics centers in the Northeastern United States. Located in a former Sears department store at the Marketplace Mall in Henrietta, New York, the new building demonstrates how unused retail spaces can be successfully redesigned and repurposed to meet a community’s healthcare needs.

Its design and siting reflect a convergence of available retail spaces driven by the surge in e-commerce, the evolution of outpatient orthopaedic care, and a growing national demand for more convenient healthcare infrastructure.

The 372,400 square-foot facility includes a 227,000 square-foot renovation and a 145,400 square-foot new outpatient clinical services building housing ambulatory surgery and post-operative care, 144 exam rooms, advanced diagnostic imaging, movement-based physical therapy and athletic training, computerized motion analysis, customized prosthetics and assistive devices, and injury risk assessment and prevention.

The Saunders Center reflects an urgency to expand infrastructure into underserved regions, helping to address the country’s healthcare equity gaps. One of the design team’s priorities for the new facility was to create a sense of familiarity and accessibility.

The focus on accessibility is evident in a series of decentralized entry points and the addition of a dedicated bus stop outside of the outpatient facility along the mall’s usual route. Ample parking and public transit access ensure equity for all members of the community, as well as those visiting from farther away. Entrances are clearly marked, and generous interior waiting areas and valet parking provide protection from the inclement weather and cold temperatures of upstate New York winters.

As technological improvements and medical advances allow for shorter recovery times following surgical procedures, orthopaedics has moved beyond inpatient treatment to a relatively quick outpatient experience and lifelong-care model. In the months since the Saunders Center opened, URMC has seen a continuous uptick in demand for all services offered at the location.

Anticipating patients back on their feet sooner, much of the renovated portion of the project houses physical therapy and recovery areas, and sports performance facilities. One such area, the CHAMPP Gym (Center for Human Athleticism and Musculoskeletal Performance and Prevention), is dedicated to injury prevention, athletic performance training, nutrition, and academic support for student athletes.

Breathing a second life into an expansive yet under-utilized retail complex yields both economic and environmental benefits, allowing the design team to repurpose existing infrastructure and resources while reducing costs and construction times.

Design: Perkins&Will and The S/L/A/M Collaborative
Associate Architect: Dwyer Architectural
Contractor: LeChase Construction
Photography: Halkin | Mason Photography, David Lamb