PULLMAN, Wash. – A grand opening celebration for the new Health and Wellness Services (HWS) pharmacy will feature free Ferdinand’s grabbers and tours 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, in the Washington Building.
Renovations during summer included a remodel of the reception area, an addition of two exam rooms to urgent care and construction of a new pharmacy.
“With the continually increasing demand for our medical clinic and pharmacy services, our facility had to be more efficient,” said Dennis Garcia, senior associate medical director of HWS. “We are maxed out at seeing about 300 patients a day. We’ve added staff but have been limited by space.”
The pharmacy was relocated to the front of the clinic for easier access. Two times the size of the old pharmacy, the new one has work stations for every employee, enhanced patient privacy and expanded inventory storage.
“When I started working here as a pharmacy technician in 1998, we had two employees and processed about 50 prescriptions a day during the school year,” said Karen Harlander, HWS pharmacy manager. “We now have six employees who process more than 200 prescriptions daily in addition to our non-prescription products. In the old space, if we weren’t tripping over each other, we were waiting for an open work station.”
The outdated clinic reception space had enclosed check-in windows that restricted the staff’s ability to see waiting patients and did not have space for primary work stations. The remodel has eliminated the need for reception staff to jump between work stations to complete routine tasks and has allowed for increased equipment and staffing efficiencies.
Construction on the $400,000 renovation started late in spring and was substantially complete by July. HWS previously shared the building with Pullman Memorial Hospital until 2004 when the hospital moved to a new location. At that time, HWS remodeled the urgent care area, but everything else remained largely untouched. HWS functions, including building maintenance, are funded entirely by student fees and revenues from services.
“We’re celebrating! After years of saving, we’re able to make these changes to serve patients more efficiently,” Garcia said. “Our next project is to look at remodeling the old pharmacy space to add exam rooms.”