Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home
We have been working with NLH for several years now. First, we designed a 20,000 sf Primary Care & Specialty Practice building to be attached to the hospital. This project is pending financing.

In June, we bid & awarded a major renovation of NLH's Maternity Unit to AOW Associates. Everyone was pleased that the project was awarded on budget to AOW, a well respected healthcare contractor in up-state NY .

Shortly, we will bid out the renovation & expansion of NLH's ED. This is a very special project. In 2008, NLH CEO Larry Kelly took a small group of hospital representatives including our principal architect, David Souers, AIA, to Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, CO, to see their Planetree hospital and ED. Valley View gave us an extensive tour that raised the bar for NLH's project, though not the budget. NLH selected Optimus because of our similar work at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck, NY.

Our goal for NLH was to design an Adirondack style facility that would emulate the great Adirondack resorts, making patients feel more comfortable with less stress. The rendering above depicts the patient & family waiting room. We prepared this rendering in a computer model that allows viewers to move around the space seeing the interior view from any angle or location. The hospital shows this computer animated model to donors, board members and staff.

Optimus worked with CON consultant Keith Kinnally in securing NLH's CON approvals in record time to build during this slow economic period. NYSDOH responded with an approval within two months of submission.

 

Glens Falls Hospital
Glens Falls opened their new 23,500 sf plus full basement Greenwich Regional Medical Center in May 2009. The project has been a huge success for GFH and the up-state community. The project includes a Family Practice Clinic, Physical Therapy, Specialty Physicians, an Imaging Suite with capacity for a future MRI. The traditional building design with clapboard siding and gabled roofs is in character with buildings in the village of Greenwich. Roof top mechanical equipment is concealed by the sloped roofs. MLB Construction Services built this project.

 

Mt Kisco Medical Group
MKMG opened their medical offices in Oakwood Commons, Poughkeepsie, NY. Their 22,000 sf of tenant space is located on two floors in a new modern five story building with an additional third floor for future growth. Our design addressed a full complement of medical services and specialties including imaging and women's health. Kirchhoff Construction was the contractor for both the building core & shell and the medical interior fit-up.

Our interior design is up-scale and flexible to address patient comfort and future needs. The contemporary interior demonstrates that Optimus does not impose our own standard style on our projects. We design for the client, their staff, the community context, and their patient group. This makes each of our projects unique to the goals of our particular healthcare client. We advocate Planetree design principals for every healthcare project, where design is focused on the patient, for the patient's health and comfort, and to enable the patient and their family to support the patient's care. Therefore architectural style, function and finish must serve the patient's interests, rather than the designer's portfolio.

 

Mid Hudson Medical Group
A new 45,000 sf medical building is under construction on Columbia Street across from Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, NY. The building will open in spring 2010, at which time MHMG's existing building will be demolished to expand the parking for the new facility. This project has been in planning for a number of years. A previous study proposed a 25,000 sf building. Optimus studied the zoning, parking requirements and site conditions, recommending that MHMG maximize the development potential for the site with largest building feasible. The building shell is four levels located on a slope. From the Columbia Street side, patients enter at ground level and go up or down another level for three levels of patient services. From the Pine Street side, patients and staff enter at a covered parking level with three levels of patient services above.

MHMG will provide a full complement of services including imaging with a CT, MRI and Women's Imaging. The interiors will be open, modern and upscale to suit all ages from young children to the elderly.

Kirchhoff Construction is the contractor for the project. Optimus handled all site plan approvals. The City of Poughkeepsie Planning Board was very complementary of the design, planning and effort that Optimus took to address Planning Board concerns.

 

Other Projects of Interest
Optimus is providing a variety of other healthcare design services.

The Rye Ambulatory Surgery Center, LLC is a project we are designing for The Westchester Medical Group located at their Rye, NY medical building. The facility will have four OR's. We addressed the CON application with WMG's CON consultant, Joan Camera. During design, we are working with Peggy Alteri as the Owner's operations consultant. We have worked with Ms. Alteri on several other ASC's. The project will go into construction Fall 2009.

We are assisting other clients with ASC CON and facility planning and design requirements. These clients include: Advanced Surgery Center, Pearl River, NY. SurgiCare Ambulatory Surgery Center, Bronx, NY. Cataract Eye Care Ambulatory Surgery Center, Johnstown, NY. Digestive Disease Management of Central NY, Utica, NY.

CON Consultants: In addition to the CON consultants mentioned about, we are regularly working with Cicero, Velaquez & Associates and Empire Health Advisors on early project planning and CON applications. We enjoy a very effective and productive working relationship with all of these consultants to address DOH approvals.

We are also providing services to several primary care groups and organizations. Westchester Health Associates is expanding the facilities that we designed for them several years ago. They are presently adding a lab. Rondack Construction Services is building this project. Planned Parenthood Mid-Hudson Valley is upgrading or replacing facilities. Hudson River Health is expanding and replacing in place their Amenia, NY facility. ODA Primary Healthcare Center from Brooklyn, NY is establishing a new clinic in Sullivan County.

We have also been working with Salem Hills and Waterview Hills skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers to address their facilities, DOH requirements and site plan approvals.