Taking the Plunge
Finding the right people to create their dream practice was the doctors’ first priority. Once construction began, they wanted to focus on work and relax knowing that the details were being handled by people that they trusted. The first thing they decided was which dental supplier to work with. Both practices had been faithful Patterson customers, but they did their due diligence researching other suppliers in the area. Ultimately, they stuck with Patterson because, Dr. Comeau says, “For service after the sale, we wanted somebody that comes to Steamboat and it didn’t take us long to agree that we’d continue to do business with Patterson.”
The doctors’ equipment specialist, Mike Long, and territory representative, Mark Phillips, seconded the use of Battista, with whom they had worked and who specialized in dental practice design. Battista in turn introduced the doctors to Mendel and Company Construction, a firm he felt was up to the challenge.
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Dr. Schwartz, who has an eye for design, wanted to achieve several goals with a new practice design. The current space was 25 years old and had been reconfigured three times; the staff didn’t have much of a break area; and the practice aesthetic didn’t convey the high level of dentistry that was being offered. “I had a major goal of bringing the appearance of the office into the 21st century, but I didn’t want it to lose its flair in five or seven years,” Dr. Schwartz says.
The teams met with the doctors to lay out the new practice, deciding on a flow that alleviates the tight quarters of the old space. The simple square design accommodates a lab and sterilization center, employee break area that doubles as an in-office education center, eight operatories, a consultation room, a doctors’ office that all three share and reception and waiting area. One of the operatories functions as a dedicated surgery center so that implants can be placed directly out of the office.
In order to make the best use of the available space, the doctors agreed on a shift-based schedule. Drs. Schwartz and Diehl would vary their office hours, which would keep the busyness level to a minimum while expanding the practice hours to serve more patients.
Late in 2008, the doctors moved into Dr. Diehl’s practice space and construction began with a gutting of the practice, exposing steel beams in the vaulted ceilings. They decided to leave those visible from the hallways; the operatories feature closed ceilings but have a lot of windows. The only major surprise that the team encountered was substandard plumbing that needed to be replaced.
Throughout the process, Long and Phillips were instrumental in facilitating discussion between the doctors and the architect and construction team, mitigating problems and helping to keep everything on schedule.
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