OREANDA-NEWS. September 29, 2016. Kaiser Permanente broke ground on a 57,000 square foot medical office building serving Ventura County. Located on Market Street and Valentine Street in Ventura, this full-service medical office building is expected to open in the first quarter of 2018.

Kaiser Permanente’s new “Market Street” medical office building will offer Obstetrics-Gynecology, Orthopedics, Podiatry, Plastic Surgery, Gastroenterology, Hematology/Oncology, General Radiology, an Infusion Center, Ophthalmology, Optometry with Optical Dispensing, Blood Draw, Urgent Care, and Pharmacy.

“Since acquiring Buenaventura Medical Group in 2007, membership growth in the Ventura area has exceeded expectations,” said Dennis Benton, senior vice president and area manager, Kaiser Permanente. “Market Street’s additional capacity and specialty services will greatly enhance our ability to meet the needs of the community.”

In addition to the expanded space and services, the new medical office building will leverage an innovative design and approach that will allow Kaiser Permanente to further personalize the care experience for members, empower them to integrate health into their daily lives, and offer everyone in the community the opportunity to take an active role in transforming their health.

Engaging Member Experience

Those visiting Market Street can expect an experience that looks and feels completely different from any medical visit they’ve had in the past. The facility will feature an open, modern interior with roaming Member Specialists who will greet members, assist them with check-in, and answer questions.

Seating options will fit the need of the patient and interaction style. For members who prefer privacy, there will be private zones.  For those who prefer to be more social, there will be clustered seating—a design element aimed at nurturing relationships between groups of people.

In addition to indoor and outdoor community tables where members and visitors can use mobile devices, read, and further engage, there will be a “Thrive Bar” where members can ask questions or resolve issues about a particular topic without an appointment.

“This new medical office building allows us to marry clinical excellence with a truly unique approach,” said Greg Kelman, MD, area medical director, Kaiser Permanente. “It will allow our members to receive care from physicians and staff with whom they have developed relationships and trust, and offer new ways to engage with Kaiser Permanente, and each other.”

Integrating Health into Everyday Lives

Kaiser Permanente has a history of investing in long-term strategies, programs, and resources that foster healthy environments. Market Street will continue in that tradition, partnering with the community to promote healthy eating and active living by hosting educational workshops and events in both the medical office building’s indoor community room, as well as the outside plaza area.

The campus will also feature two “Thrive” walking paths and a community garden to provide opportunities for members and visitors to take part in activities that support total health and also remind them to integrate these activities into their daily lives.

“Kaiser Permanente believes we all deserve to live healthy lives in our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods, where health of the body, mind and spirit are supported,” said Gail Knight, chief administrative officer, Kaiser Permanente. “This new medical office will be a gathering place with access to information, foods, activities, where that level of health can flourish.”

A Commitment to Environmental Sustainability and Cultivating Local Relationships

Market Street will be environmentally sustainable at its core with drought tolerant landscaping, solar covered parking, a green roof, and water reclamation. It will follow strict guidelines to achieve LEED Gold green building certification for energy, lighting, water, and material use efficiencies, as well as Net Zero building certification to ensure it generates as much energy as it consumes.

In addition to artwork reflecting the region’s agricultural and beach communities, Market Street’s “wayfinding” elements will reflect the local environmental geometry, showcasing images of lemons, avocados and strawberries so prevalent in Ventura County.

General Contractor McCarthy Building Companies will lead the project with plans to use Ventura City and County subcontractors such as Damar Construction, Tower Glass, Murray Company, Taft Electric, United Site Services, MNS Engineers, Sam Hill and Sons, EJ Harrison, and Sawyer Petroleum. More than a dozen of these contractors and their vendors are minority-, small business-, women-, and disabled veteran-owned businesses.

“Our vision is to create an anchor in the community that offers our members personalized, high-quality clinical care and also offers those in the greater community opportunities to engage, learn, and participate in activities that promote healthy lifestyles,” said Richard Trogman, chief operating officer, Kaiser Permanente. “We are excited to now enter the construction phase to make that vision a reality.”

About Kaiser Permanente in Woodland Hills and Ventura
Established in 1986, Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills provides high-quality primary and specialty care to more than 200,000 members throughout the West San Fernando Valley and Ventura County. For more information, visit us online at www.kp.org/ventura.

About Kaiser Permanente Southern California
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 4.2 million members in Southern California. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information follow us on twitter; @KPSCALNews or go to: http://share.kp.org/scal.