New England Cryogenics Center
Harvard, MA – It’s been a stellar year for Maugel Architects’ healthcare practice. The firm attributes its growth to the move from centralized services, based at large academic medical centers, to a distributed model where healthcare is being delivered at the neighborhood level.
“Hospitals are expanding into the primary-care market by setting up urgent care facilities and/or primary care facilities that are feeders to hospital services,” said Jonathan Cocker, the head of Maugel’s health care practice. “With the Affordable Care Act, hospitals are starting to own, or are being closely affiliated with, primary-care practices and urgent care facilities. The hospitals handle the logistics of running the facilities and the doctors have more time to take care of patients, “added Cocker. “Capturing that build-out has been a major factor in our success this year.”
Circle Health Westford
Maugel’s recent project for Lowell General Hospital’s Circle Heath Westford is one such example. Maugel designed five medical office suites for Circle Health’s new medical building at Cornerstone Square in Westford. The new facility provides the community with a Circle Health Urgent Care Center, a Lowell General Hospital Patient Service Center, and physician suites for Obstetrics & Gynecology, Primary Care, and Pediatric Specialties. Maugel also designed the interior fit-up for Circle Home Inc., a home healthcare and hospice provider and an affiliate of Circle Health, for the agency’s new 17,774sf space in Lowell.
Circle Home Lowell
At Acton Medical Associates, located in Acton, the use of electronic medical records eliminated the need for onsite paper file storage —freeing up valuable square footage for expanded services. Maugel renovated the practice’s patient services facilities, which included a redesign and upgrade to the existing processing laboratory, phlebotomy and ultrasound facilities, and a new reception and waiting room area.
The migration of diagnostic and life sciences labs to the suburbs along Route 495 is also contributing to Maugel’s growth. With the relocation of GE Healthcare, Quest Diagnostics, Genzyme, and Bristol- Myers Squibb to the area, momentum is gaining. Earlier this summer, Maugel renovated 30,000sf of office and lab space for New England Cryogenic Center (NECC), one of the world’s largest full-service cryogenics labs. NECC had recently relocated from Newton to Southborough.
Regional hospitals are also playing a role in Maugel’s healthcare expansion. At Marlborough Hospital, renovations are under way to transform their ICU Nurse Station and adjacent family waiting area. Maugel Architects has worked closely with the hospital to ensure efficient flow for staff and to promote a calming environment for families and visitors.
“Maugel has been designing a wide range of healthcare facilities in the Boston suburbs for over 25 years,” said Cocker. “Fortunately, our expertise in the medical field has enabled us to meet the changing dynamics of the healthcare community with responsive, innovative designs. We have every expectation for continued growth in our healthcare practice in 2016. ”
