On October 6, 2020, the GBA and GIP presented a webinar on faculty office space. A daunting challenge facing all academic health systems is how to effectively accommodate faculty offices within the policies, practices, and resource capabilities of universities and their colleges of medicine. This presentation shared research conducted with faculty– individually and in focus groups, in partnership with a national research-oriented furniture vendor, on what they truly needed and why that was the case. Interpersonal and cultural dynamics, including perceived entitlements, were considered along with legitimate functional needed in an effort to determine where private faculty offices fit within a larger overall strategy. Outcomes included revised office size guidelines, appropriate levels of faculty choice in their office spaces, ‘branded’ finishes, modularity, and reasonable comparability between existing office environments and new office space. Strategy also addressed the degree to which Department and Division faculty warrant immediate proximity to staff, fellows, research and clinical spaces, and other interdisciplinary faculty. Implementing the findings required aligned senior leadership, a communication plan, supply chain and vendor partnerships, enlightened construction professionals, and a connection to the College’s Capital Plan.
Learning Objectives
- Distinguish between real and perceived needs of physicians as office workers.
- Effectively address often unsubstantiated claims of office needs and requirements across variables such as practice type, privacy, and location.
- Implement strategies, tools, and tactics employed at a growing public, research-oriented academic health system to deal with the faculty office crisis.
Speakers
William Orosz, MPA, Administrative Director, Planning Services, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Corrie Feldmann, MA, Senior Facility Planner, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center