With a goal of transforming healthcare by providing innovative care to rural Kansas, two critical access hospitals, Anthony Medical Center and Harper Hospital District #5 partnered with Kahler Slater’s team of Medical Planning Consultants and Architect of Record Gould Evans and to design a new critical access hospital: Patterson Health Center.

Located adjacent to their community’s shared high school, Patterson Health Center brings opportunities such as introductory training programs for future healthcare professionals and improving the health of teenagers via wellness programs and sports medicine. The new health center’s goals are to create a healthy campus focused on promoting wellness for their patients and surrounding communities and to deliver healthcare with resilient, flexible, and cost-effective operations.

A 22-exam room clinic connected to the critical access hospital features an Integrated Care Team clinic delivery model for its primary and specialty care providers. Additionally, an outpatient rehabilitation gym with private treatment rooms and an in-ground hydrotherapy pool will provide physical, occupational and cardiopulmonary therapies for outpatients, and will be available for staff to use off-hours to meet their own fitness goals.

The health center will be rich in state-of-the-art information and medical technologies supporting innovation in rural healthcare delivery, including electronic outpatient registration, digital patient tracking, telemedicine capabilities for clinic and trauma patients, automated medication dispensing units, and contemporary surgical and diagnostic imaging equipment. By incorporating technology into their healthcare design and operational practices, the team aims to improve workflow and efficiency, create a better patient experience and increase access to care.