Before moving into the new space at 6149 Columbia St., Talley Eye Institute was spread over two clinics and a third office. Now, Talley Eye Institute’s six doctors (plus an additional doctor in Marion, Illinois) and staff all are under the same roof in the 22,000-square-foot space.
“Being at the same location has improved interoffice communications and resolved several previously necessary redundancies,” says Drew Sommerville, MD, a surgeon for Talley Eye Institute and president of the practice.
The new space also utilizes lean technology to enhance operational efficiency. Lean technology was created by Toyota Motor Corporation to eliminate waste and inefficiency by arranging the workspace so employees take as few steps as possible from station to station.
“If we order tests, such as photos of the retina, visual field testing, or imaging of the lens or cornea, the testing is all just steps away from our exam lanes and our patient waiting areas,” says Sommerville.
In planning for the new building, which broke ground in June 2018 and opened earlier this year in March, the practice also put thought into its expansion. The facility has extra space for Talley Eye Institute’s continued growth and will allow for new physicians and staff to come on board in the future.
In mid October, Talley Eye Institute’s neighboring surgery center, Valley Surgery Center, will open to patients. While the previous surgery center, which Talley Eye Institute works with hand in hand, was located in a separate location from the practice, the new surgery center shares a parking lot with Talley Eye Institute.
“There’s going to be more potential to treat more patients and take care of more patients that way, and we’ll have more operating rooms in that facility,” says Bill James, Talley Eye Institute’s practice administrator.
The new space allows for more efficiency for the practice’s staff and doctors, but more importantly, it allows for better treatment for patients. From the modern interiors to the optimized workflow, patients will receive even better care whether they need Lasik, LipiFlow for dry eyes, cataract surgery, or treatment for macular degeneration, glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy.
“It really has come down to being more efficient across the practice,” says Sommerville. “This results in a better patient experience.”
