Project Summary
The Choctaw Nation McAlester Health Clinic is a 44,806-sq.-ft. outpatient facility designed and constructed on a fast-track schedule, Services include Primary Care, Dental, Veterans Clinic, Laboratory, Radiology, Eye Care, WIC, Physical Therapy, and Behavioral Health.
The design projects a modern, sophisticated image that not only reflects today’s Choctaw people, but also reflects the culture, history, and heritage of the Choctaw Nation. The image conveyed was an important topic in pre-design meetings with the leadership of the Choctaw Nation. The form and finishes chosen for this facility are meant to address the Nation’s concerns and convey a modern state-of-the-art facility, one which provides quality care to its Native American patients and families while reflecting their rich cultural heritage. Traditional tribal elements such as symbols etched in the interior glazing and artwork displayed in recessed niches are incorporated throughout the facility.
Improving the users’ experience was addressed through a number of design solutions. Users are greeted with an approach to the facility that is protected from the elements by a canopy extending the length of the front of the facility. In Dental, natural day lighting and views of the outdoors are provided while patients receive treatment. Up lighting at the barrel-vaulted corridors provides a spacious and light-filled experience, far different from the institutional fell of typical healthcare facilities. A two-story curtain wall at the atrium allows for maximum daylight and views to the outdoors. Low-E glass was used throughout the facility to improve energy efficiency and reduce heat gain in the atrium space.
With pediatric care in mind, millwork adorned with colorful images was used to provide an environment fir just for kids and help set children’s minds at ease while receiving care. To enhance the patient experience, interior windows in main waiting rooms provide privacy from adjacent corridors and more spacious feel while waiting for care.