Martha M. Grout, MD, MD(H)
Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine

9328 E. Raintree Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Phone: 480-240-2600 • Fax: 480-240-2601
Hours: 8:30 am to 6:30 pm, Monday – Thursday

Freeway access is easy. Raintree is an exit off the 101 freeway. We are 3 blocks east of the 101, on the north side of the street. We are located in the middle of the complex, and the building is marked 9328.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS -

From Flagstaff:
Take I-17 South to the 101 East.
Follow 101 East to Raintree Drive.
Turn left (east) on Raintree Drive for about 3/4 mile.

From Sky Harbor Airport:
Take the 202 East to the 101 North.
Follow 101 to Raintree Drive.
Turn right (east) on Raintree Drive for about 3/4 mile.

Due to allergy sensitivities of many of our clients, The Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine is a fragrance-free facility. Please, no colognes or fragrance-doused hand lotion or clothing.

In January, 2007, The Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine moved from its former location at Tatum Blvd. and Union Hills in Phoenix to its new location in North Scottsdale.

The move provided an opportunity for more space, and the ability to create an environmentally-friendly office.

"It is our life’s work to get people healthy," said Dr. Martha Grout. "How can you do that if the Clinic is not a healthy space? So we designed the space to support our patients' health."

Most offices are saturated with formaldehyde-drenched particle board and insulation, toxic paints and carpet adhesives. “We see increasing evidence that chemical-laden environments contribute to chronic health problems. So we avoided them everywhere we could,” she said.

Between the walls of the clinic, we placed insulation to reduce thermal transfer to keep the temperature comfortable with less use of electricity to heat in winter and cool in summer. We wanted insulation made without formaldehyde because formaldehyde is described by the government as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen." Formaldehyde is very prevalent in building materials and we were determined to find alternatives.

The cabinets are also formaldehyde-free.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are often emitted from many items in an environment, including solvents, floor adhesives, carpets, and cleaning products. Paints often use VOCs to even out the color and can offgas up to year after the paint is applied. VOCs can include possible cancer-causing agents such as styrene, formaldehyde, and chlorine. For the paint on our walls, we chose a non-toxic, very low-VOC product.

Our doors throughout the clinic are made of particleboard that is urea-formaldehyde free. The wood used is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, an international non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world's forests. The FSC certifies that the raw materials originated from approved forests.

Where there is the appearance of wood flooring, we used an innovative linoleum made with natural resin, ground lime stone and flax seed. It is made by Forbo, a company concerned about global warming. It is produced from renewable materials: linseed oil, resins, wood flour, jute and ecologically responsible pigments. The harvesting or extraction of these raw materials consumes relatively little energy. The oxidation of the linseed oil generates a bactericidal effect that prevents micro-organisms including salmonella typhimurium and staphylococcus aureus from multiplying. Non-textile floor coverings also helps those with allergies because it reduces dust and dirt in the environment.

In the allergy testing room, we used Zaxxon, a special flooring material that emits negative ions that grab onto allergens, germs, molds. It attracts positively charged airborne antigens and drops them to the ground. The floor actually helps us neutralize contaminants in the air so our tests will be accurate. The material from which the flooring is made is 100% recyclable. It is a non-porous surface that is slip-resistant.

For lighting we used a combination of T-5 indirect light fixtures, a very energy efficient lamp, and incandescent light in areas where we needed to eliminate any possibility of fluorescent “arcing” because some people are extremely sensitive to the flicker.

Metal studs inside the walls are made with a high recycled content.

The water faucets have an electric eye that saves water.

The lobby floor is pebble bound together in a clear, nontoxic resin.

We chose to put floor to ceiling windows in the offices because we wanted a great amount of natural light coming into the space. The windows have a reflective film on them to help reduce the use of energy to heat and cool the building.

The carpet is formaldehyde free, low VOC, and 37.5 percent of the material is recycled content. The adhesive is also low-VOC.

The furniture is 95% recyclable, using glues that do not outgas, and materials that are both natural and recyclable. No formaldehyde is used in the furniture construction.

For the HVAC system, we built air filters into the air-handling units. And during construction, we kept the ductwork wrapped and sealed until we were ready for final connections. That insured that dust and dirt from construction did not get in the HVAC system. At the very end of construction, we brought in an industrial ozone generator to neutralize any residual new construction odors, and finished by flushing outdoor air through the entire building.

And we chose VOC-free cleaning products for the clinic that are free of chlorine, ammonia, butyl cellosolve, and chemical fragrances.

“Through our lungs, skin and GI tract, we are soaking up chemicals that we'd be hard-pressed to spell or pronounce; most of them have not been evaluated fully,” said Dr. Grout. “More than 80,000 new chemicals now circulate in consumer products since the rise of the petrochemical industry.”

Studies have shown the average person has 91 chemical compounds that can be measured in blood and urine. “This chemical soup keeps many people in a limbo between good health and vague malaise. I wanted to show that we really can build cleaner when we are committed,” she said.

Welcome to our healthy environment, designed by The FM Group, www.fmgroup.net, and built by Bloom Builders, www.bloombuildersllc.com.

The Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine

[click to enlarge]	[click to enlarge]
From L to R: Lisa Dugan, RN; Malkah Yehuda, RN; Khamba Lama Natsagsorj, Julie Rasmussen, RN	Khamba Lama Natsagsorj in the lobby as he begins the blessing of the building [visit his website]
Map of Mongolia