Building green is good for the environment and energy savings, and for Allergy Associates of La Crosse Ltd. it’s also important for patient welfare and comfort.

The allergy clinic, which for 40 years has pioneered allergy drops administered under the tongue, this year opened its new clinic using Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines for improving indoor quality. The $2 million, clinic in Onalaska features polished concrete floors, paint that’s free of volatile organic compounds, wall covering adhesives that are low in VOC’s and high-efficiency cooling and heating systems that exchange air three times per hour and contain ultraviolet filters to kill pollen and germs.

“These features were a very important consideration for us in building our new clinic, says Dr. Mary Morris, one of the partners of the practice, which was founded by her father, Dr. David Morris, in 1970. “Many of the chemicals contained in building materials, flooring or paint can emit toxins that can make a person, especially with allergies or asthma, feel ill.”

Moreover, Practice Executive Jeff Kessler says, “The convenience of our new location was another factor. Given that our clinic averages more than 10,000 visits annually, many of those traveling from quite a distance outside of La Crosse, easy access from Interstate 90 was an important consideration.” The former clinic was in a more than 70-year-old building on the edge of La Crosse’s downtown, some seven miles from the more accessible Onalaska site.

The clinic contains 10 exam rooms, five physician offices, a reference laboratory, allergy testing offices and business offices for the six doctors and 34 support staff in the practice. An important feature, according to Kurt Schroeder, the lead architect for HSR Associates Inc. of La Crosse, the architectural firm for the project, is the wave-shaped clerestory on the roof. It provides natural lighting to the examination rooms, waiting area and laboratory of the clinic. This provides physicians with a clear view of patients’ allergic rashes. It’s also an aesthetic benefit to patients and employees alike and saves on energy used for lighting.

It’s a big advantage over the previous clinic, which had no outside windows, Kessler says.

In addition to the natural lighting, the clinic has programmed lighting that shuts off when no one is in the room, a significant energy savings. The site also includes a rain garden watered by runoff funneled from the clinic roof.

Allergy Associates is internationally known for its allergy drops, which treat the causes of allergies, unlike over-the-counter and prescription medicines, which provide relief for symptoms. Over its four decades, Dr. David Morris and other members of the practice have refined the use of allergen therapy drops that gradually build up patients’ immunities to airborne or food allergies. They’ve treated more than 125,000 patients and trained more than 500 doctors from around the country on its La Crosse Method Practice protocol.

“We’re 10 years ahead of most allergy clinics,” Kessler asserts, adding that while allergy drops are considered an alternative therapy in the United States, they’re used by 50 percent or more of European doctors.

Most health insurance policies cover the cost of the office visits, but not the cost of the drops, which range from $1 to $1.50 per day, Kessler says. However, the clinic believes its patients find the drops a good investment in long-lasting results and improved quality of life. A review of more than 20 European studies found that patients using allergy drops have a 42 percent reduction in allergy symptoms and 43 percent reduction in medical use in three years.

Because of the large volume of patients and the several-hours of testing and treatment that can be involved for a new patient, efficiency and patient comfort are essential in the new clinic, Kessler says.

“Numerous patients have talked about how clean they feel the air is [in the new building],” he says.

By John Hill

You can contact John Hill by e-mail at jhoythill@sbcglobal.net.