HCD Guest Author

Recently, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, added several floors to its existing bed tower, offering the chance to study outcomes of inpatient unit decentralization on teamwork and operational efficiencies.

Human performance expert Andy Core, MS, is looking to shake things up.

 At a Tuesday lunchtime ceremony at the HEALTHCARE DESIGN.11 conference in Nashville, The Center for Health Design, joined by several of its partners, handed out its annual awards to the healthcare design community. Honoring colleagues and peers for everything ranging from architecture to product design, the ceremony was a celebration of the industry's achievements, both over the course of the last year and, in the case of the Changemaker Award, the course of a long and storied career.

As someone who has spent time sitting in pediatric exam rooms with my children for their wellness visits or times when they weren't feeling their best, I was particularly interested in this education session at HEALTHCARE DESIGN.11 presented by Travis Leissner, AIA, director, KMD Architects, and Kaye Schmidt, RN, MA, CPON, NEA-BC, senior director,

HCD.11 Session Review: Accountable Care–Ecology in Healthcare Delivery

by HCD Guest Author | Nov 14, 2011 | News

It's becoming apparent that there is a gradual move from a hospital to a healthcare system. This method supports programs of care that cross hospital and practice settings, reduces duplication, and allows greater integration with hospital-based resources.

I wasn't sure exactly what to expect as our HEALTHCARE DESIGN.11 facility tour bus drove up to Vanderbilt Health's One Hundred Oaks Outpatient Clinic Mall. Sandwiched between a TJ Maxx and a K&G Men's Store, One Hundred Oaks was the first closed indoor shopping mall in Nashville, originally built in 1968. By 2005, the mall was dead in the water, another casualty of suburban flight.

The HEALTHCARE DESIGN conference offers attendees the chance to tour a selected group of healthcare facilities in the area and I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to visit one of the featured tours at HEALTHCARE DESIGN.11—Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Tennessee.

One of HEALTHCARE DESIGN.11's roundtable discussions at 11:30a.m. on Monday, November 14, will focus on post-occupancy evaluations and other lessons learned.

In this HEALTHCARE DESIGN.11 conference preview, Bryan Brinkman of B4 Architects touches on brief points of the design process for the Livingstone Accident & Emergency Unit (A&E) in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

The national calendar of  events marks November 10th as the celebration of the birth of the US Marine Corps (USMC) and on it's heels the very next day, November 11th, is Veterans' Day, celebrated nationwide to remember the brave men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Regions across the country will hold parades and ceremonies to honor these Veterans. 

I recently have written about how the healthcare industry is facing major changes. Rising costs, new technology, shifting demographics, and new legislation all play into the way healthcare providers deliver care now and in the future. 

National healthcare discussion is placing a greater emphasis on containing costs, preventative care, wellness, and managing chronic diseases. By 2014, approximately 40 million more Americans will have access to health insurance with the Affordable Care Act, placing more demand on facilities and building infrastructure.