Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Third Interview by Kevin Henry of Pennwell Publishing
Third interview By Kevin Henry of Pennwell Publishing in a series about office design. Importance of detail on construction documents.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Second Interview by Kevin Henry of Pennwell Publishing
Second interview By Kevin Henry of Pennwell Publishing in a series about office design.
"Kevin Henry of Dental Economics talks with Garrett Ludwig of Diversified Design Technologies about a key component often missing in dental office design"
Monday, December 31, 2012
First Interview by Kevin Henry of Pennwell Publishing
First interview By Kevin Henry of Pennwell Publishing in a series about office design.
"Kevin Henry of Dental Economics talks with Garrett Ludwig of Diversified Design Technologies about a key component often missing in dental office design"
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Case Studies
Teaching At Its Very Best
Up To Your Waste In Water
Creative Solution To An Impossible Dream
2000% Return On Investment
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Testimonials
"Thank you, Garrett, for creating my dream dental
office. I had a vague vision and you made it into existence. Everyone says 'wow' when s/he enters my
dental office & over time I got used to it.
I just went to another dental office open house, and realized how
fortunate I was to have met you, Garrett, at Yankee and timing worked out that
you were able to help me. The other
dental office lacked efficiency, security, and just common sense. Of course it was designed by a dental supply
company who also sold the dentist a lot of unnecessary stuff. Those off-the-rack type cabinets and
stericenter take up so much room, whereas in my office I don't have to move so
much, saving my energy so I can go home to my family refreshed and not burned
out. The sad truth is that I could have
been that other dentist without your help.
I also realized that dental office design is much more than just the
layout of the space. Since we moved into
the new space you created, I and my team have less physical pain, better mood
(we love coming to work!), and therefore better dental work. We have pleasant
work days. We can retain better staff.
The practice revenue increased 50%- so I and all my team members got
raises. I really appreciate your
integrity, honesty, initiatives, and kind smile. I learned so much- about construction but
also how to deal with people, how to manage stress and how to live a better
life from you. In retrospect, the best
thing I did was to have you lead me in all aspects of construction, including
looking at the potential spaces, reading the lease, dealing with all vendors on
my behalf. My one regret is I didn't
listen to you for everything. The things
I said "no, Garrett, this is MY dental office and I want it this
way," well, those things I wish I listened to you. It is so refreshing to know that you put my
best interest at all times, not just make money off of me. And the best part of all is that now I have a
trusted friend who I can call at any time.
Kristen Dority, D.M.D.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Absence of Pain Equals Absence of Pathology! Right?
How disturbing is it when a patient refuses routine
diagnostics simply because they have no symptoms and they wish to save money?
How distressing is it to have to treat that patient for a preventable disease
that has finally progressed to a symptomatic, intolerable or critical state? To
make matters worse, how unsettling would it be to have that patient disregard
your treatment plan simply due to their reluctance to expend the time or funds;
despite your assurance of a favorable prognosis?
Although there is no comparison to the element of human
suffering associated with disease, the time and expenses that accompany the
discovery and management of preventable conditions transcends all aspects of
life. Awareness is the key to homeostasis- be it physical health of fiscal
health. We are frequently reminded by utility companies through MC Hammer’s
message, “You can’t touch that…” to be mindful about power-line safety. And the business of “Call
Before You Dig” is inundated with requests from contractors and homeowners
daily to accommodate everything from underground utilities to pet-containment systems.
In kind diagnostic health care testing and outpatient surgical facilities are
cropping up in every community. We are truly the Information Generation.
So, it would be prudent to ask ourselves: Is that a cable or
telephone line- or might it be a power line that could render severe burns or
electrocution; might that shallow ditch penetrate a utility feed and interrupt
service for several days; is that a sebaceous cyst or a malignant growth; is
the new suite harboring any construction challenges or budgetary concerns that
will challenge the success of my project? We live in a “pay now, or pay later”
world.
Prevention, management and the administration of curative
measures will assuredly save you money, and efficient and functional planning
will guarantee a substantial return on investment. As physicians and dentists
you are uniquely aware of the benefits and value of preventative measures and
focused remedies. It is not worth taking a risk when it comes to making the
largest investment of your professional career the creation of a facility that
will support and enhance your ability to deliver your professional services and
support the well-being of your family?
Our mantra regarding responsible design is best summarized
in our Mission Statement: “Our company slogan, “Profit By Design” speaks to the
purpose as well as the effect of design and engenders our philosophy that
responsible design will assure a return on investment. To that end, we are
committed to the creation of an office facility that reflects your professional
image and enhances efficiency and productivity, while stringently managing the cost of its development.”
Wisdom is knowing what to do next. Skill is knowing how to
do it, and virtue is doing it. - David Starr Jordan
Your prescription for design and project management is ready
for you at designrx.biz or call 800-622-5563. It’s painless, and the results
are guaranteed. Garrett Ludwig founded Diversified Design Technologies Inc. in
1971. The company has specialized in the design and construction of private-practice, health-care
facilities since 1975. During that time, he has designed more than 300,000
square feet of professional office space. He has a U.S. patent on his emergency
services “crash cart” design. Ludwig has shared his
experience in dental office design in numerous trade
publications, and continues to lecture on the subject throughout the United States .
He can be reached at (800) 622-5563 and garrett@designrx.biz. Visit his Web
site at http://www.profitbydesign.us.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Six Truths About Dental Cabinetry / Millwork
Pre-manufactured dental cabinetry offers superior ergonomic design.
TRUTH:
One would expect that to be true. Unfortunately, that is a profound fallacy! In fact, many of the products designed and produced by those companies necessitate class IV and class V movements for the assistant and clinician to access equipment and materials; thereby necessitating the temporary loss of physical and visual contact with the patient. Some designs actually necessitate that the assistant leave his/her stool and bend or kneel to access storage spaces.
Our designs are based on the ergonomic principles of Four-handed Dentistry and maximize efficiency.
Additionally they are designed to include the efficient use and convenient storage of clinical adjuncts, i.e. electrosurge, airabrasion, intra-oral camera, laser, etc.. The cumulative effect is a work environment that is designed for the user(s) as opposed to the user(s) adapting to a pre-conceived, one-size-fits-all design concept.
MOVEMENT:
I- Fingers only; II- Fingers and wrist; III- Fingers, wrist, elbow; IV- Entire arm and shoulder; V-Torso
THEORY #2:
Pre-manufactured dental cabinetry is superior to others in fit and finish.
TRUTH:
Impossible! There is simply nothing better than “the best”. Therefore all that anyone can claim
is that they are using “the best” materials and techniques. The fact is that the materials that
are available to the dental manufacturers, are available to every designer and fabricator. Please review and
compare the list with anyone who purports that they offer a superior product, and ask them to demonstrate their claim.
THEORY #3:
Pre-manufactured dental cabinetry is better constructed than that of others.
TRUTH:
Impossible! There are only a few techniques that merit distinction as quality cabinet construction. With the exception of “furniture quality” (sophisticated joinery and solid,hardwood construction) there is no difference in the finished product of the carcass (shell) of the cabinet. Screws, dowels, biscuits and adhesives all result in solid construction.
THEORY #4:
Pre-manufactured dental cabinetry offers superior finishes to those of others.
TRUTH:
Again, impossible! Although they are in no way superior, there are two factors that could distinguish those products as “different”.
1. They could have their own pattern produced in the surface of a plastic laminate. To clarify: Plastic laminate is comprised of several layers of craft paper. The last layer bears a “photograph” of an image (pattern, color, wood grain, etc.). That surface is covered with clear melamine [plastic] to provide a resistant and durable surface- thus the term “plastic laminate”. Anyone can order “custom” laminate- for a price. The fact is that it no better than any of the hundreds of plastic laminates available on the open market.
The exclusivity of a “proprietary finish” actually creates problems for two reasons:
A. It restricts the potential to match any adjunctive millwork that might be Positioned in direct adjacency to
the dental cabinetry;
B. Potential for the same pattern to be available years hence could be a concern if that pattern of color is
phased-out. Should that happen, the ability to replace a door, drawer front or panel with one that would
match the original could be eliminated.
2. They could produce their own injection-molded, door and drawer-front design. That option is, again, available to all designers and manufacturers. It’s simply a matter of investing in the die or mold. Injection-molding is nothing new or innovative. In fact, that method is used commonly by many manufacturers who produce kitchen and bath cabinetry; as sold in all “Big Box” stores. Further, the injection-mold concept is more prevalent in the lower-end lines of cabinetry, due to the obvious cost savings. So a door that appears to be “raised panel” construction is simply formed in that shape.The bottom line is that the integrity of those doors and drawer fronts is comparable to that of all other products. The only distinction is that the design might be unique in appearance. For “a price” those features can readily be replicated or improved-upon. The bottom line is- like the “proprietary laminate”- the mold forms may not be available in subsequent years- a profound example of Planned Obsolescence.
THEORY #5:
Pre-manufactured dental cabinetry is a better value than that of others
TRUTH:
Impossible! Our designs have consistently been constructed by high-end, custom cabinet shops. In the majority of cases, the costs for the same volume of storage as that existent in pre-manufactured, dental cabinetry have been half of the cost of pre-manufactured dental products. When you consider the amount of money that will be invested in cabinetry for treatment, hygiene, sterilization and lab cabinetry, the savings in the physical end products alone is astounding. The ergonomic benefits are virtually limitless.
THEORY # 6:
Pre-manufactured dental cabinetry offers features and functions that are not available anywhere else.
TRUTH:
Not true! We have done it all: Glass doors; LED or low-voltage lighting; pneumatic doors; pneumatic water controls; super-heated “instrument drying” storage space. These “features” provide no distinctive benefit that can’t be accommodated conventionally or creatively- absent extraordinary cost. In kind, the hardware that would support the function of a slide-out, pop-up, pivot or hide-away components is available from numerous hardware manufacturers.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
We live in a world of compromise. Office space selections are commonly based on what is
available and is typically based on- location, size, need, cost and convenience. Therefore, it is
not unusual for there to be physical conditions that compromise the use of pre-designed cabinetry in optimal
orientation that would maximize function and flow. We share these thoughts for consideration:
1. To select or design an office around any product or pre-made assembly of products, would be like designing a house around a 7’-2” distant relative.
2. Angled or curved walls, windows, doors and vital equipment all need to be accommodated. Cabinetry can be custom-designed to maximize the use of the site-specific condition.
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