OPTIMUS Health Care Inc. (OHC), a private, non-profit organization, is the largest provider of comprehensive health care services in southwestern Connecticut. With delivery sites in Bridgeport, Stamford, and Stratford, OHC provides primary and supplementary health care services to an underserved population – regardless of their income or insurance status.

In 2019, to meet their mission of providing greater access to medical treatment, OHC acquired a 35,000 SF, 3-story, multi-tenant office building located at 305 Boston Avenue in Stratford. Joseph Sepot Architects was subsequently commissioned to redesign existing office space on two floors of this building into high-performance primary care clinics.

Located on the first floor and occupying 10,800 SF are two separate clinics: internal medicine and dental. The programmatic requirements for each clinic include dedicated entrances, check-in/reception areas, and waiting rooms. The internal medicine clinic has usage and appropriate space allocation for 8 exam rooms and 3 touchdown rooms. To maximize natural daylight exposure, patient areas are located along the heavily glazed south-facing façade of the building. The program for the internal medicine clinic also includes: offices for physicians, practice manager, nurse manager, and administration; group consultation room; vitals room; lab; medical supplies room; and eyewash and splash guard room.

The dental suite occupies the western façade of the building and is organized around 3 spacious dental treatment rooms. The program also includes: an additional treatment room and 2 touchdown stations; sterilization room; panoramic/cephalometric (PAN/CEPH) x-ray room; eyewash and splash guard room; staff lounge; and administrative offices.

In an immediate response to the outbreak of COVID-19 and in effort to continuously provide a safe and secure digital on-site contactless telehealth experience for patients and staff, JSA designed a 1,900 SF telehealth facility on the second floor. The space for 16 telehealth workstations was allocated, each equipped with state-of-the-art tele-data systems to meet the technical infrastructure requirements of real-time video conferencing, including: increased electricity loads, redundant backup power, and automatic power transfer switching for continuous operation. During a live telehealth visit, physicians can access electronic medical records, prescribe treatment, and conduct follow-up visits.

Finishes throughout these spaces were specified to create a welcoming environment, promote hygiene, and allow for ease of maintenance. The lobby is finished with a maple wood feature wall, natural bamboo ceilings, and large format porcelain tile flooring. Treatment and administrative offices include solid surface work areas, antimicrobial polymer textiles, laminate clad millwork, and resilient sheet and luxury vinyl tile flooring.