Since 1969 the Los Angeles LGBT Center has cared for, championed and celebrated LGBT individuals and families and today provides services for more members of the LGBT community than any other organization in the world.
The Center’s 600 employees provide services and programs that span four broad categories: Health, Social Services, Culture and Education, Leadership and Advocacy.
Flow Analysis
The Los Angeles LGBT Health and Mental Health Services (HMHS) is the largest Center department with over 260 employees located in four facilities. The Center’s primary facility for health care services is McDonald Wright. Los Angeles LGBT Center is expanding programs and facilities to a new main campus. Construction of housing for at-risk youth and seniors is scheduled to begin soon. When the Anita May Rosenstein Campus opens in 2019, Transitional Youth Housing and many administrative functions will move from McDonald Wright to the new facility. This will be an opportunity for HMHS services and support functions that are currently operating in severely cramped quarters to expand into vacated space. HMHS engaged Buffalo Design to assist with the development of a Space Needs Analysis and Master Plan for the building. This Master Plan, which will be implemented over several years, identifies the need for additional space to accommodate current and future health service programs.
Guiding Principles for the plan include a focus on patient centered care, the ability to better serve the LGBT community through expanded services, staff support, cost efficiency, flexibility, security and improved circulation.
Recommended Plan
The concept for the recommended plan locates all functions with the highest patient volume on the first floor. This will create efficiencies for patients, streamline their flow and alleviate stress on the elevators by drastically reducing the number of trips to upper floors. The first phase of the project creates a vibrant, welcoming Health Resource Center for Health Education and Prevention Services upon entry with access to the Pharmacy, Lab, and the Sexual Health and Education Clinic.
Expanded areas for Research, Primary/HIV Care, Mental Health Services and Administration will be phased in as space and resources become available.
Standards for space and furnishings
The design team developed a set of standards for staff work spaces, clinical functions and support spaces.
The goals for staff workspace standards are:
- Maximize space usage throughout the building.
- Consider the use of smaller footprints for offices and workstations.
- Explore new ways of working and caring for patients.
- Build in flexibility. Allow teams to create their own work environment within a specific foot print to maximize efficiency.
- Eliminate built-in workstations and minimize construction of private offices. Create most workstations from freestanding components rather than panel systems. Provide adjustable height work surfaces to be ergonomically responsive.
- Encourage collaboration and teaming to improve communication and a cohesive community of care around patients.
