Department Of Veterans Affairs
VA Space Planning Criteria (Chapter 104)
Washington, D.C. 20402
March 2007
H. Room Efficiency Factor: A factor that provides flexibility in the utilization of a room to
account for patient delays, scheduling conflicts, and equipment maintenance.
Common factors are in the 80 to 85% range. For acute/sustaining SCI care, a room
with 85% room efficiency provides a buffer to assume that this room would be
available 15% of the time beyond the planned operational practices of the room. A
room efficiency factor of 95% is used for a long term care SCI Center. This factor may
be adjusted based on the actual and/or anticipated operations and processes of the
room / department.
I.
SEPS (VA-SEPS): Acronym for Space and Equipment Planning System, a digital tool
developed by the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans
Affairs to generate a Program for Design (PFD) and an Equipment List for a VA
healthcare project based on specific information entered in response to Input Data
Questions. VA-SEPS incorporates the propositions set forth in all VA Space Planning
Criteria chapters. VA-SEPS has been designed to aid healthcare planners in creating
a space plan based on a standardized set of criteria parameters.
J. Spinal Cord Injury / Disorders Center (SCI/D): A specialized medical facility designed
to provide a full range of care for patients who have sustained a lesion of the spinal
cord and/or cauda equina resulting in either tetraplegia or paraplegia. Each patient
assigned to this unit typically uses a manual or electric powered wheelchair, or
occasionally a gurney. The purpose of SCI/D is to provide care and treatment for
spinal cord injury patients and to ensure that they receive maximum benefit from
trained staff in a specialized, mission-oriented facility. Spinal Cord Injury care can
occur in three phases Acute Care, Sustaining Care, Long Term Care - and SCI/D
designs must provide for their differing needs.
K. SCI/D Acute Care (Intensive Rehabilitation): Acute care involves medical
stabilization immediately after injury and usually occurs at the nearest trauma center,
with transfer to an SCI/D Center as soon as possible. In an Acute (Intensive Rehab)
Unit, a multidisciplinary team effort focuses on bringing the patient to the highest
functional level possible. The goal is, after a period of time, to enable the patient to
return to independent living. Specialized care in the Acute setting includes at least
the following activities:
1. Prevention and/or treatment of medical and surgical problems associated with the
spinal cord injury.
2. Training patients to perform their own self care which includes such common
activities as getting dressed, getting into and out of bed, bathing, performing toilet
activities (bowel and bladder care), etc.
3. Training in optimal mobility whether learning to walk again or effective use of a
wheelchair.
4. Providing patients with and teaching them to use any special assistive devices
they may need to achieve independence.
5. Diagnostic and surgical care of the urinary tract system.
6. Providing patients and family with social, psychological and vocational support to
deal with the consequences of the injury.
7. Providing proper nursing care to optimize outcomes and to prevent complications
such as the formation of pressure ulcers.
8. Restoration and/or maintenance of nutritional status.
9. Providing education to empower the patient and for subsequent training of a
personal care assistant, if needed.
Spinal Cord Injury / Disorders Center (Chapter 104): Page 3 of 23
Previous Page
