LED technology’s reputation as an energy-saving light source and a good replacement option for incandescent and halogen lamps has led to broader use within healthcare spaces. However, the lighting source isn’t always understood by the people who specify it, use it, or maintain it, says Karen Murphy, senior professional associate at HDR Inc. (Omaha, Neb.).
In February 2014, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton opened the Margaret and Charles Juravinski Centre for Integrated Healthcare in Hamilton, Ontario. The project was impressive for its size alone, with 850,000 square feet and more than 300 psychiatric beds, as the provider brought all of its mental health and addiction services together under one roof in a modern and comfortable setting.
The importance of art in healthcare spaces is an idea that has blossomed in the last decade as more designers and operators recognize the healing benefits of positive distraction, nature views, and daylight within their care environments.
Patients and families will travel from across the country to receive care at the new Shriners Hospitals for Children—Canada in Montreal when it opens to patients in October. To make the environment welcoming and friendly to all, the colors and attractions of the different regions of Canada were used as inspiration for design elements throughout the space.
ZGF Architects LLP in Portland, Ore., faced a major challenge in 2008 when it began a master plan for St. Charles Bend Cancer Center, in Bend, Ore.: The hospital’s existing radiation oncology services were attached to the main hospital, while medical infusion services were provided off campus, about a mile away.
Nemours Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., has a history of using forward-thinking design. When its original hospital was constructed in 1979, the building was one of the first children’s hospitals to incorporate column-free space and interstitial space for mechanical and utility systems.
The Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany in New Albany, Ohio, is similar to other wellness centers in aiming to improve the collective health of a community by bringing together multiple healthcare services under one roof.
The success of a healthcare construction project requires many participants and viewpoints. One voice that’s getting more recognition is coming from nurses.
In this series, Healthcare Design asks leading healthcare design professionals, firms, and owners to tell us what’s got their attention and share some ideas on the subject.
Erica Steenstra has a 25-year career in interior design and was recently appointed director of environments for Taylor Design. Here, she shares her thoughts on the sharing economy and care delivery, minding staff work environments, and how medical respite programs can help reduce hospital readmissions.
The evolution of healthcare delivery has put providers on a pathway searching for the right mix of services, facility types, and building layouts that maximize care delivery, improve the patient experience, and drive the best returns.
Prior to groundbreaking on the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, the project went through nearly four years of design and master planning that would take it from an inpatient building to a comprehensive cancer center and fixture on The Ohio State University’s medical campus.
While the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute specializes in researching and treating a range of adult cancers, it also delivers radiation oncology services to pediatric patients who are served at the nearby Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
