Dermatology World July 2011 SUPPLEMENT : Page 6
REMODEL, RELOCATE, or EXPAND? Dr. Bagel did, however, have to reserve extra time and resources to ensure that the space was compliant with Occupational Health and Safety Administration regulations. While clinical trial and Mohs patients are seen on the second fl oor, all other examination rooms are on the fi rst fl oor. He is satisfi ed with the new setup and said the space fl ows well. “The doctors do have to run upstairs to see trial patients, but I think the exercise is good for everybody,” he quipped. He also had to consider the impact of the construc-tion on his patients, who still needed to come to the offi ce for care. He was able to hire a contractor who was willing to do much of the work after hours and on the weekends. Working around patient hours resulted in less service disruption for Dr. Bagel’s patients as well as the other tenants’ patients. Additionally, the contractor couldn’t have two people working at the same time,” Dr. Orbuch recalled. Nearly four years later, he works with two other dermatologists in a 2,000-square-foot offi ce. His primary consideration when looking for new offi ce space was location. Dr. Orbuch wanted to relocate in the same area and retain his existing referral base. Additionally, Dr. Orbuch, who is also a clinical associ-ate professor of dermatology at NYU Langone Medical Center, wanted to be within walking distance of the medical center. Location is a primary consideration when relocating one’s practice. Like Dr. Orbuch, George Hruza, M.D., of Laser and Dermatologic Surgery Center in Chesterfi eld, Mo., preferred staying in his existing offi ce. How-ever, after meeting with an architect to determine the feasibility of designing an ambulatory surgery center “Getting there is exciting, but... it takes a real committment to do this.” had all the necessary materials in stock before he started demolition to keep the project running smoothly. In the next few years, Dr. Bagel plans to take over another 3,000 square feet. He may move the psoriasis center upstairs if the fl oor can hold the weight of the light boxes. Although Dr. Bagel came close to purchasing other sites over the years, he always returned to his original offi ce space. “I’ve been here since the day I started,” he said. “It’s been a good building for me.” reloCating? But for some, remodeling is not the best option. When the offi ce building that Philip Orbuch, M.D., of Murray Hill Dermatology Associates in New York City, worked in for 15 years converted to condominiums, he chose to relocate. The asking price for the 900-square-foot of-fi ce was not only exorbitant, it was so small that he used to work three days a week and his associate worked two days a week. “We split the time because you really 6 supplement to Dermatology WorlD // July 2011 (ASC) in the existing space, he realized that he had to build new construction to meet all the building and fi re code requirements. “Even if we could convert the inside of our space, we couldn’t retrofi t the entire building to meet these requirements,” he said. After two years of looking, Dr. Hruza found a 1.5 -acre lot. As part of the purchase price, he received an allowance to build a 20,000-square-foot medical offi ce building. As part of the process, he had to deal with city inspectors about zoning regulations; the bureaucracy was overwhelming at times. Because Dr. Hruza’s primary focus is Mohs sur-gery and reconstruction, he draws patients from a large geographic area, so he was less concerned that his referral pattern would be aff ected if he moved far from his fi rst offi ce. “Still, you don’t want to move 20 miles away,” he said, adding that a derma-tologist in a general practice probably wouldn’t want to move more than a couple miles away from his/ her existing offi ce. www.aad.org
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