Club Med(icine): DOM Debuts Community Space
Update: March 15, 2024
The DOM Community Space recently held an Open House/Happy Hour to celebrate its first full month of being open. The kitchenette was a central gathering place, where camaraderie soared over great snacks and fine drinks. One visitor was URMC’s new Chief Wellbeing Officer, Craig Rooney, PhD. He said “I cannot say enough good things about the DOM Community Space. It had an immediate calming effect on me. In addition to the potential positive effects on wellbeing due to the many instrumental and aesthetic features of the DOM Community Space, I am struck by how much the space communicates care and concern for all who work there. This space is a lovely amalgamation of privacy and community so individuals can toggle between whichever type of space they need in a given moment.”
. We encourage everyone in the DOM to come visit the space and utilize the different areas. To book a space, contact Erica Couch at 585-276-0946 or email Erica_Couch@URMC.rochester.edu
After three years of planning and renovation, the Department of Medicine is delighted to open the first ever DOM Community Space. This multi-room complex located in 3-5100 is open to all DOM members who need a touchdown space, whether for a half-hour meeting or a full day on-site. The variety of workstations, room setups, and amenities make this a true office oasis.
The project was spearheaded by Stephen Hammes, MD, PhD, executive vice chair of the DOM, Tim Heffer, vice chair of Finance and Administration, and Kate French, director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives.
Hammes said “We are really excited to open this new community space for the department of Medicine. Our hope is that this will be the first of several new work areas within our department that will serve as touchdown points to bring our faculty, staff, and learners together.”
French said “While this approach to officing is a new concept for our department, it follows suit with many other large academic medical centers. Our goal was to transform an underutilized wing into a space that accounts for the needs of those with flexible and remote work schedules, offers a conducive environment for our ever-growing department, and creates collaborative spaces for all to enjoy.”
Private Office
Shared Office
Who is this for?
The DOM Community Space is open to any member of the DOM: faculty, APPs, residents, fellows, or staff! The workstations are reservable for those who do not have a dedicated office, or typically work off-site but are visiting Strong Memorial Hospital for the day.
What’s in the space?
The entire complex was designed to have lots of natural light, and preserved many historical features like high ceilings and windows. The space was built with noise absorbing furniture and materials to help keep things serene. There are a variety of workstations to fit the many different needs of all our different roles.
Workstations
- 6 Open Stations: open air desks in a common area, bundled in small groups
- 2 Shared Offices: a private room with three workstations
- 8 Private Offices: a single workstation behind a closed door
- 2 Group Meeting Spaces:
1 Huddle Room: up to five in-person participants
1 Open Booth: up to four in-person participants - 2 Privacy Pods: a single workstation with the comfort of a booth
- 1 Sound-Proof Booth, AKA “The Cone of Silence” – Named courtesy of Stephen Hammes
A private phone-booth like structure for a single person to take a private call
Huddle Room
Cone of Silence
Resources and Amenities
- Every workstation is equipped with a phone, mouse, keyboard, docking station or desktop computer, and video capable dual monitors (minus the Cone of Silence, which is “bring-your-own-laptop”)
- All stations also have a sit-to-stand desk
- Every private/shared office and huddle space is equipped with a white board
- Noise cancelling headphones are available at Open Stations and Shared Offices
- “Rental” laptops are available
- Xerox multifunction device
- Lockers can be booked to store your personal items for up to one week
- Stocked kitchenette! Complimentary coffee, water, and snacks are available!
Lockers
Open Workstations
How do I reserve a space?
You can reserve a space by contacting Erica Couch, administrative assistant for Education in Medicine/Nephrology. Call 585-276-0946 or email Erica_Couch@URMC.rochester.edu
Space should only be reserved for the time it is actively being used. We are currently working with EMS system to help build an online reservation system to help streamline the process in the future. You’ll be familiar with this software if you book spaces through CEL.
The DOM Community Space is protected by requiring swipe access: be sure to have your badge on you!
We encourage everyone who wants to tour the space to email Erica and stop by for a visit!
Call for art!
Now that we have our own space, it’s time to personalize it! We’d love to fill the walls with artwork and photographs from our own people. Do you have photos, paintings, sketches you’d like to share? Got any cool images from your research we can enlarge and print? We can exhibit these as a museum would, with the “artists” name and description of the work. We would love to rotate the art from time to time, so submissions are welcome year-round! If you’d like to submit yours, contact Erica Couch or Kate French.
