Employee Wellness Driven by Design

At one of our wellness centers in Silicon Valley, we’re using design to inspire our customer’s employees.

We love design at Crossover Health

The well-designed experience – everything from the health center to the online tools to our communication – is an essential part of our approach to truly patient-centered care. Like our care delivery, all of our design works together, in ways that seamlessly integrate our culture and that of our clients.

However, bringing design to one of the world’s most design-savvy companies was a daunting prospect, yet our collaboration with the client and the architects was incredibly productive. The 13,750 sq ft Wellness Center, located on the customer’s campus, is staffed by 8 physicians, 14 nurses, and 11 physical medicine team members, and over 15 hosts. This group sees nearly 300 patients / day from 8 to 7PM as well as Saturday hours. It uses a refined color and materials palette and carefully chosen lighting, echoing the feel of the best retail stores. But our collaboration yielded far more than simply interesting finish choices. It led to a health clinic that rewrites the rules and experience for patients and providers alike.

The Goal

Our goal is to inspire healthy behaviors and motivate our patients in taking ownership of their health. Thus, our health centers have to be efficient with the care workflows but they also have to convey to the patient that this is “their” place, that their time at the center is simply an extension of the natural rhythm of their life. This requires the environment to be an asset, not a barrier, their care to be inclusive while creating a sense of belonging.

We accomplished this at this Wellness Center with a layout that separates the patient areas from the provider functions. A provider “bullpen” sits in the middle of the plan, a common workspace for our integrated team and the place to store all the equipment, medication and technology that are functionally necessary for the clinic. Doors from the bullpen lead to the individual consult areas. This self contained area enhances both communication and collaboration within the care team.

But the patients sees none of this. They arrive at a reception area and are greeted by our “host” – a key patient experience role that allows us to surprise and delight from the moment you walk in. We also don’t call the reception area a “waiting room” because 97% of the patients we see every day wait less than 5 minutes from door to provider.

The Patients

Patients are accompanied down extra wide and quiet hallways, animated with feature walls and discreet lighting. There are no providers bustling about, and the calmness helps the patient transition to the care area where they are seen in generous, sleek consult rooms. The technology seamlessly placed to be a natural part of the experience, not a barrier or sideshow to it. Patients flow right into the consultation area where the visit begins by reviewing the patients health portfolio on the Crossover One dashboard.

Look closely and you can see the patient centric, evidence-based attention to detail throughout. Tools, supplies and experts close at hand. Paperless technologies. Design of built-ins that minimizes floor area while conveying space. But for the patients, the design is “inspiration-based,” all established to help them feel at ease and in control.

The Results

It is often said that the best technology simply disappears. That’s how we see our design at this Wellness Center. There’s lots of work going on in the background, but it all simply disappears for the patient. It’s all about her.

The results speak for themselves. Over 50,000 people had appointments in its first year, and the 97% satisfaction ratings are testament to a passionate care team and an environment that the patient truly feels ownership of. The net result is an amazingly consistent, incredible experience, all by design!