RAD Rewrites VA Radiology Design Standard, Hands Over Tool Reducing Risk of Failure of Future Imaging Facilities

Kansas City, MO, September 02, 2020 --(PR.com)-- In 2008 the US Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) published Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, and MRI Design Guides developed with the expertise of RADIOLOGY-Planning (RAD-Planning) principals, Robert Junk and Tobias Gilk. As of September 1, 2020, the VA has published a new Imaging Services Design Guide, prepared by RAD-Planning, which marries the three earlier guides into a comprehensive single guide that is free to download from the VA's Technical Information Library.

As suggested by the firm’s name, RAD-Planning specializes in the planning, design, and construction of radiology, imaging, and radiation therapy facilities, and the development of associated design standards. In addition to these two editions of Design Guides for the US Department of Veteran Affairs, the firm’s principals have been involved in VA HVAC design criteria, US Department of Defense radiology and nuclear medicine design standards, ACR MRI suite safety design criteria, and the development of imaging design criteria for the Facilities Guidelines Institute, among others.

“Twelve years is an awfully long time in healthcare, in general, and even more so in radiology,” offered Robert Junk, RAD-Planning’s President and the Principal in Charge of the project. “When we looked at what we had done, previously, we knew that a contemporary best-practice planning tool would have to be built from the ground up. This new document is 2.3 times larger than the previous three guides, combined. We are honored to have been selected by the VA for this national standards project and are very happy with the end product.”

The new document, a complete rewrite, includes the development of planning criteria that reflect technical, operational, and clinical changes that have swept the industry since its predecessor, twelve years prior. Among the changes in the new document are:
· New imaging equipment types
· Protypes which incorporate contemporary hospital design codes
· 3D drawings based on ‘biggest of breed’ equipment to preserve future flexibility
· Significant increase in the number of rooms provided with prototypes / templates
· Designed accommodation of higher levels of acuity and intervention in radiology spaces

“We hope that this new Design Guide doesn’t have to go a dozen years without another rewrite,” said Tobias Gilk, RAD-Planning’s Senior Vice President and Project Manager for the VA task. “But if it does, we think it’ll be in better shape than the previous. We poured lots of effort into providing guidance for future flexibility and longevity. We’re biased – I know – but we think this is the best radiology facility guidance published… and it’s free!”

As with other VA design resources, the new Imaging Services Design Guide is available on the VA’s website, and is free to download. The new document has nearly 600 pages of guiding narrative, diagrams, dimensioned drawings, engineering criteria, and the specific fixtures and equipment associated with dozens of imaging rooms.

Partnered with RAD-Planning to complete the contract were the Innova Group, who developed space-planning criteria and room equipment designs, and Kansas City-based Henderson Engineering, who developed engineering guidance narratives and room technical criteria.

RADIOLOGY-Planning (RAD-Planning) is a specialty consulting firm helping hospitals, imaging centers, and research institutions with all aspects of projects involving medical imaging and therapy equipment, from strategic planning, to equipment / facility planning, to management and operations. RAD-Planning is based in Kansas City, USA, from which it serves North American clients, and has offices in Dubai, UAE, and Jeddah, KSA from which it serves clients in the MENA region.