The Dayton, OH Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) has a tradition of servicing our Nation’s veterans for over 140 years! The Dayton VAMC is the third oldest VA Medical Center in the U.S. having accepted its first patient in 1867. The Dayton facility provides care to thousands of veterans each year in Ohio and Indiana, through one inpatient facility and four (4) community based outpatient clinics.

This facility has a rich history and even boasts that during his Presidency, Abraham Lincoln addressed Union Troops from a Bandstand preserved on its grounds. In 2006, the Dayton, OH VAMC began the process of updating the signage (street, interior, and exterior signage) on its 382 acre campus. The goals of the project were clear:

  • Revitalize, improve and replace the existing signs and highlight the Historical Significance of the Dayton VA Campus using Wayfinding for Veterans and others visiting the Medical Center.
  • Increase customer (patient, employees, visitor, etc.) satisfaction by providing clear, concise, and accurate directional Wayfinding
  • Ensure compliance with the Architectural Barrier Act (ABA)

    • The new signage needed to be changeable, so that Dayton VA would be able to keep the Wayfinding information current, when Services/Departments relocated in the future. The replacement signage project included replacing every existing exterior sign throughout the campus, installation of new interior signs and the Wayfinding system for a nine (9) story Patient Tower, Main Hospital Building at the Medical Center, along with a free standing Community Living Center (CLC-Nursing Home Care Unit). The design followed the VA Signage Design Guide with enhancements selected by the Dayton VA Medical Center.

    Exterior Signage Design
    The exterior signage design was to include a new Wayfinding plan and replacement of all exterior signs on the campus, including parking space markers and DOT signs. The Medical Center Director insisted that Veterans have clear parking signage, know where to park, and where to go for medical services once they arrive on the VA campus. In addition to providing clear Wayfinding, the Dayton VA wanted their new exterior sign system to provide their visitors a sense of the historic past this campus has seen. To accomplish this, the design incorporated a deep green background with gold accents and cream & white copy. The decorative top panel with a gentle arc became the perfect framing for their newly designed Dayton VA logo. Octagonal post shapes with gold top caps accents added to the overall historic theme.

    The product chosen for the building identification and directional signs was APCO SignBar/SignPanel. Some 40 percent of the buildings have historic significance, and signs identifying these buildings included a decorative etched emblem with the historic construction year. Internally illuminated PolySigns were used at the primary entrances. Once on campus, visitors unfamiliar with the Dayton VA campus can view campus maps in free-standing Visuline directory located at the main entrances. Upcoming events can be easily posted on their new Electronic Message Center. Quick message updates can be made from the comfort of the Medical Center via a wireless internet connection.

    In addition, all street signs throughout the campus were replaced. These signs not only needed to compliment the historic feeling of the other signs on campus, but they also had to meet the newly enacted Maunal on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) standards for color, reflectivity, font, and sizing. SignPoint was the perfect choice mounted to an octagonal post with the gold top cap accents. APCO was asked to replace hundreds of designated parking and DOT signs in keeping with the design of the primary signs throughout the campus.

    Medical Center Interior Signage Design
    The design for the signage within the Medical Center, in contrast to the exterior signs, had to convey to visitors and patients the feeling of a modern, competent medical facility. The clean lines of FullView with ADA bands and changeable paper inserts, were used for room identification signs. The modular Accord 15 sign system with paper inserts was used for directional signage.

    Community Living Center (CLC-Nursing Home Care Unit) Signage Design
    The design criteria for the signage with their CLC differed greatly from the Medical Center. The name of the CLC changed to “Lakeside Manor Community Living Center” to create a resident centered home-like living environment. The Dayton VA wanted the signs to also have a less clinical, more home-like feeling. The Accord 15 and FullView systems were used, with computer generated paper inserts for ease of updating. To soften the look, decorative backers were developed. In addition, the warm gray, black and white of the Medical Center signs were softened with dark green, gold, and putty of the exterior system.