This year Pacific Fertility Center is undergoing a much anticipated structural and design change. The clinic located on the fifth floor at 55 Francisco Street was purchased in 1999 from a previous owner, and after 8 very busy years, we are ready for a facelift. The opportunity to renovate our space came last month when PFC was offered an adjacent suite vacated by another tenant. The suite, adjacent to our laboratory, was perfect for an expansion that we had been considering for some time.

While the additional space is a bonus, the major benefit of the expansion is the ability to install a state-of-the-art air handling and cleaning system for the laboratory. With the addition of special air-lock doors, the laboratory will have improved separation from the rest of the building, ensuring the highest air quality. The air inside the laboratory will have an updated purification system to remove all particles and chemicals. These combined upgrades will further protect the laboratory from outside environmental influences.

The driving force behind the current construction is the air purification system, and isolation of the lab. However with this opportunity we are also expanding our laboratory space, purchasing new equipment, redecorating and painting. In the past, our laboratory was closed for several weeks at the end of each year to allow for major maintenance, equipment servicing, and cleaning related to normal wear and tear. The use of volatile paint and certain cleaning products is prohibited during the year on the entire fifth floor to protect the delicate growing embryos. The cleaning products normally used throughout the year, are ones we know do not affect our embryos.

We do have many other noticeable upgrades planned. We are taking this opportunity to update the rest of our center. The front reception and lobby are undergoing a significant renovation, as are our exam rooms and some of our offices.

All materials being used in the remodel are organic and toxin free. PFC continues to promote a safe and clean environment. Special paints will be used that are plant derived and free of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s). The chairs and furniture we purchase will also be VOC free. New carpets and flooring are already laid out in warehouses so that any chemicals used in their manufacture can dissipate before being installed.

As a further precaution, to ensure that all furniture, equipment, flooring and paint are guaranteed VOC free, we’re going to “cook-off” the lab by raising the temperature to about 120 0F continuously for 4 days prior to reopening. The high temperatures drive out any residual VOC’s and chemicals which will then be removed by the charcoal and potassium permanganate filters in the air handling system.

All of these changes will cause some minor disruption in our office during the next few weeks. To minimize the amount of disturbance we have construction crews working around the clock. In addition, we have dedicated some of our staff to assist patients in navigating the new space and construction areas.

Pacific Fertility Center is making a clean start. We look forward to welcoming you to our newly renovated clinic. We anticipate even greater success in the years to come. Thank you for your understanding. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way during this time of transition.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 3rd, 2008 at 12:23 pm and is filed under What's New @ PFC?. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.