Inside Duke Medicine
First section of new north-south concourse to open
posted January 15th, 2010
‘Duke South’ to be called ‘Duke Clinic’ Readers will notice that the accompanying article and map include references to “Duke Clinic” and “Duke Hospital.” Henceforth, the collection of buildings and clinics that have come to be known internally as “Duke South,” will always be referred to as Duke Clinic. Similarly what is often referred to internally as “Duke North” will be referred to as Duke Hospital. “As a team, we strive constantly to improve the patient experience,” said Duke University Hospital CEO Kevin Sowers, RN, MSN, FAAN. “Moving about our facilities is certainly a part of that, so it is vitally important that we are consistent about the labels we use.”
Construction on the first section of the new concourse that will ultimately serve as the transportation and travel spine of the medical campus is nearing completion. The concourse will eventually connect Duke Clinic and Duke Hospital with the new Cancer Center and Duke Medicine Pavilion.
When the South Concourse at Duke Clinic’s north end opens in early February, it will be the first step to improve the way patients, visitors and staff move between clinical facilities. On Level 1 of Duke Clinic, the concourse will be accessed near Clinic 1A. On Level 2, the concourse will be accessed near the oncology treatment center.
“To best support our patients and visitors, it is vitally important that we are all prepared for this change,” said Duke University Hospital CEO Kevin Sowers, RN, MSN, FAAN. “We need to be able to communicate how best to travel between buildings so that way finding doesn’t cause frustrations or delays.”
Enhanced signage and strategically positioned Duke Patient & Visitor Relations personnel will help guide patients, family members, faculty and staff through Duke Clinic to the new concourse segment and then to the walkway to Duke Hospital during the transition. This permanent section of the concourse was built, and the temporary walkway connected to it was moved, in order to clear space needed to begin construction on the foundation for the Cancer Center and Duke Medicine Pavilion.
The concourse is a two-story extension of Duke Clinic that replaces the walkway currently accessed through the old PRT lobby in the clinic’s lower level.
Corridor traffic will no longer move to the lower level of Duke Clinic to reach the walkway. Instead, the main corridors of Duke Clinic’s Level 1 and Level 2 will lead to the new concourse. Stairs and elevators at the concourse’s end will then lead down to the walkway to Duke Hospital.
Travelers moving south from Duke Hospital will use the walkway and take stairs or elevators up to enter Duke Clinic. See the map for detail.
For more information on expansion projects at Duke Medicine, go to