Department Of Veterans Affairs
VA Space Planning Criteria (Chapter 300)
Washington, DC 20420
November 2006
K. Quiet Room: A small room where a patient can go and calm down if over stimulated
by other activities or events.
L. 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. A room with 80% room efficiency
provides a buffer to assume that this room would be available 20% of the time
beyond the planned operational practices of the room. This factor may be adjusted
based on the actual and/or anticipated operations and processes of the
room/department.
M. 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 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.
N. Workload: Workload is the anticipated number of procedures or suite stops that are
processed through a department / service area. The total workload applied to
departmental operational assumptions will determine overall room requirements by
modality.
3. OPERATING RATIONALE AND BASIS OF CRITERIA
A. Workload Projections or planned services / modalities for a specific VA medical
center, hospital or satellite outpatient clinic project are provided by the VA Central
Office (VACO) / VISN CARES Capacity Projection Model. The workload projections
are generated by methodology based upon the expected veteran population in the
respective market / service area. Healthcare planners working on VA medical center,
hospital or outpatient clinic projects will utilize and apply the workload criteria set forth
herein for identified services and modalities to determine room requirements for each
facility.
B. Space planning criteria have been developed on the basis of an understanding of the
activities involved in the functional areas of a Day Hospital and their relationship with
other services of a medical facility. These criteria are predicated on established
and/or anticipated best practice standards, as adapted to provide environments
supporting the highest quality heath care for Veterans.
C. These criteria are based on established and anticipated standards, which are subject
to modification relative to development in standards of practice, equipment, vendor
requirements, and/or healthcare planning and design developments.
D. Room capacity calculation per year should be based on:
E.
Operating days per year x Hours of operation per day
= Number of
Day Hospital (Chapter 300): Page 300-3 of 9
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