Planned Parenthood has doubled the size of its Mission Bay Health Center, allowing us to see more patients and give them the best care possible.
This health center is one of many that is following a Planned Parenthood design concept; the design was awarded the Fast Company 2016 Innovation by Design Award in the Health category. In the last 18 months, we have opened two new health centers and doubled the size of two others. They’ve been carefully designed to foster a welcoming, calm atmosphere for our patients and to maximize efficiency.
The Mission Bay Health Center, which has been in the same location for more than 15 years, was completely modernized and expanded from 1,900 to 3,300 square feet. The waiting room is colorful and full of comfortable coffeehouse-style seating and plugs for electronic equipment. Staff is easily able to collaborate in a central work space surrounded by six exam rooms, which have been equipped with everything they need to care for a patient in one location.
“We paid attention to everything from the hook on the back of the door in exam rooms to the number of steps staff takes to complete a visit,” said Lori Keim, our senior director of business initiatives, who oversaw the expansion. “This attention to detail allows our staff to spend the most time possible with patients.”
The expansion will allow us to provide birth control, STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings, and more to people in Mission Bay and the surrounding communities. Last year, our staff provided patients with 11,000 visits at this health center. Now that we’ve doubled the number of exam rooms, our health center has the capacity to handle 24,000 patient visits each year.
We were able to expand the Mission Bay Health Center thanks to a gift from longtime supporter and Board Member, Susanna Flaster. The health center was renamed in honor of Susanna’s mother, Mimi Brien.
“My mother went out of her way to tell young people about Planned Parenthood, because she saw the barriers that were created if they could not plan their families,” Susanna said. “She felt that Planned Parenthood dignified women and was an engine of equality.”
Last year, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest served about 140,000 patients at our 18 health centers in San Diego, Riverside, and Imperial counties. We also provided education and information to more than 66,000 people in the communities we serve.
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