Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Space Planning Criteria (Chapter 316)
Washington, DC 20420
February 2007
1. Deionization (DI) Water: Water which has been treated to remove contaminants.
This system removes most mineral deposits, but microbial contaminants may
remain.
2. Feed Water: The untreated, potable water available throughout the facility
through its water supply system.
3. Permeate Water: Fully treated purified water, stored in a tank, which is used in
the preparation of dialysate.
4. Pre-treated Water: Partially treated water, sometimes available as feed water,
which has had substantial reduction of mineral and/or microbial particles.
5. Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water: Usually the final purification module in the
treatment system, RO-based treatment modules produce water of optimal
chemical and microbial quality.
R. 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 Dialysis Center and its relationship
with other services of a medical facility. These criteria are predicated upon
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 Dialysis Center equipment is determined by VACO
and based upon Veterans Health Administration (VHA) anticipated medical needs.
D. Dialysis Center 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
1. The general planning model for VA dialysis facilities assumes 365 Operating Days
per Year and 24 Hours of Operation per Day. This is a life support function and
must provide coverage of medical complications and patients with acute
conditions. Room capacity will fluctuate during hours of operation, i.e., peak
hours generally will demonstrate a very high utilization rate and off-peak hours a
much lower rate.
Dialysis Center (316): Page 4 of 15
Previous Page
