Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Space Planning Criteria 7610-308
Washington, DC 20420
September 2006
I.
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.
J. 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
Statements. VA-SEPS incorporates the propositions set forth in all VHA Space
Planning Criteria Chapters. VA-SE has been designed to aid healthcare planners in
creating a space plan based on a standardized set of criteria parameters.
K. Workload: Workload is the anticipated number of procedures or suite stops that is
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 satellite 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 the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service
and its 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 subject to modification relative to development in the equipment,
medical practice, vendor requirements, and subsequent planning and design. The
selection of the size and type of Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service equipment is
determined by VACO and upon Veterans Health Administration (VHA) anticipated
medical needs.
D. Room capacity per year should be based on:
Operating days per year x Hours of operation per day
= Number of
Minutes per clinic stop / 60 minutes
annual clinic stops
Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service (308): Page 308-3 of 13
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