HCD Guest Author

Retirement plans are being postponed for many, but the reality remains that many of our baby boomer leaders are well into the back half of their careers and succession planning is as much a factor for firms' future success as how, when, and to what extent the economy recovers. 

Evidence-based design may be a well-known concept in the healthcare design world, but to the mainstream, it is still a bit of a foreign concept.

As healthcare reform continues to be a topic full of questions rather than answers, it brings with it a set of parallel changes that are already being implemented in an attempt to be at least one step ahead once the floodgates open.

In May 2011, my HKS colleague Jennie Evans posted a blog titled “HKS: IT Changes

Recently, I was reading an account of a successful endeavor to fight malnutrition in the young children of a small African village. It was an interesting comparison of a few children that received the same nutrients as a majority of the children in the same village, but were growing healthier and stronger in comparison.

After careful observation, it was realized that the mothers of these children simply had a different delivery method than the mothers of the more malnourished children.

The design of a hospital affects patients’ expectations. Artwork plays a big part in this well-being. More than just add-ons, artwork is integral to the overall plan of a hospital, in which good design supports both the medical and emotional needs of patients. 

Artwork reflects a hospital’s heritage, values, and brand. Yet many healthcare providers may not necessarily know how to approach an art program. That’s why an internal art advisory committee can prove useful. 

In the wake of the recent news of esteemed architecture firm Karlsberger shutting its doors forever, I have been re-evaluating my thinking. Given a number of indicators, I was under the impression that things were looking up a bit out there on the front lines.

Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc., have gotten all the attention; they are revolutionary, forever changing our lives as we know it. All true, they connect us in profound ways in both our business and personal lives. 

The tools may be new, robust, and very powerful, but what remains most powerful is the underlying value of networking. 

The healthcare construction industry is going through a unique time of change in the midst of trying to keep it's head above water. Non-residential construction has started to see a greater demand for green building as clients seek a way to be environmentally responsible as well as keep an eye on potential long-term savings, and be on the lookout for patient and staff wellbeing.

Back in March, I attended a PDC Healthcare Summit session that spelled out the state of healthcare infrastructure in a very stark way. The presenter was not an architect and was involved in the Certificate of Need (CON) review for New York state, so he had no direct vested interest in whether hospitals were built or not. His statement was: 

The Academy of Architecture for Health recently held a Webinar-based roundtable discussion on the topic of design for surgical environments. Of interest was a discussion of suggested workflow practices and design concepts for contemporary invasive environments for patient care.

Five well-respected subject-matter experts supported the discussions with healthcare designers across the country. A summary of their discussion follows: