EAPC transformed a former 12,000 SF clinic into a community health center that balances clinical efficiency with amenities that promote energy and wellness in an underserved community

EAPC has transformed a former 12,000 SF clinic into the Coal County Community Health Center in Beulah, ND. It balances clinical efficiency with amenities that promote energy and wellness in an underserved community. When the doors opened, patients found their familiar caregivers in an inviting, convenient, newly-expanded and renovated building that has created a seamless, patient-friendly experience.

Due to the expanded space, the Intensive Outpatient Program can accommodate more people and as a result is able to offer additional meetings each week as part of the eight week program. Supplemental counselors and a traveling psychologist are now on staff to support this increase.

Because the client was eager to broaden its reach in the community, the design maximizes space efficiency with a waiting area that has flexible seating and collaborative work rooms for care teams rather than private offices.

“It is pretty cool that what we design makes a difference in our small communities.”

—Elise Derby, EAPC Interior Designer

Inside the clinic, large, open spaces and vibrant colors help to create a bright environment and also serve as wayfinding devices. Exam rooms are 30 percent larger than standard to accommodate families and their care teams. Wider 6′-0″ hallways provide easy access for those with strollers or wheelchairs.

Private offices are replaced by open, collaborative work areas to support Coal Country Community Health Clinic’s patient-centered medical home care model. This gives patients access to a multi-specialty team of primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, behavioral health consultants, and registered dietitians in a single visit.