Department Of Veterans Affairs
VA Space Planning Criteria (Chapter 408)
Washington, D.C. 20402
February 2007
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.
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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 based
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 Environmental Management Service
Laundry and Linen Operation 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 Environmental Management Service Laundry and
Linen Operation equipment is determined by VACO and upon Veterans Health
Administration (VHA) anticipated medical needs.
D. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) laundry is responsible for providing an
adequate, constant, and clean supply of linen to all users. The basic tasks include:
sorting, weighing, washing, ironing, tumbling (drying), folding, mending, marking, and
delivery. The laundry is usually responsible for the preparation of surgical linen packs
that involves the inspection of linen, mending, fabrication of specialized linen items,
and the make-up of the linen packs. As a part of the Patient Assistance Program,
patient clothing is washed processed through the laundry.
E. Environmental Management Service calculates the projected capacity for laundries
based upon historical data and the VA bed model projections. Site specific historical
data is utilized to calculate the number of pounds per bed by category per day.
These figures are multiplied by the number of projected beds to obtain the estimated
annual pounds of linen. Similar calculations must be performed to obtain the annual
poundage for the miscellaneous categories of linen, for example: administration,
clinics.
F. The calculation of linen processing quantities is based on the average pounds of
soiled linen generated per patient day. Site-specific historical data is utilized to
calculate the number of pounds per bed by category per day (365). These figures are
then multiplied by the number of projected beds in order to obtain the estimated
annual pounds of linen.
Environmental Management Service Laundry and Linen Operation (Chapter 408) Page 3 of 10
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