Areas of the world that were once considered remote have become thriving centers of global economic development. The dramatic financial growth of these nations, and an increased awareness of the consumer market, has created a driving demand by developing nations to provide the infrastructure once considered the foundation of free capital societies.
On opposite sides of the globe, two pediatric health institutions, Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston and New Century International Children’s Hospital (NCICH) in Beijing, each decided to venture into uncharted territory by offering healthcare services to a whole new segment of the population. In Houston, the departure of St.
Achieving green standards in healthcare becomes easier when considering the USGBC’s new LEED guidelines for healthcare projects.
Over the past few years, the province of Alberta, Canada, has seen a dramatic increase in healthcare construction and a radical restructuring of its healthcare system. In early 2000, numerous healthcare capital projects were approved and additional projects have recently been approved. The current capital program is $4.2 billion. Additionally, Canada’s first provincewide fully integrated health system became effective on April 1, 2009, bringing together 12 formerly separate health entities.
The Indian healthcare industry is expected to grow to $79 billion in 2012 from $40 billion in 2010. This number will increase to $230 billion by 2020. This exciting growth responds to various demographic and economic trends, including an increasing population, rise in disposable income, increasing consumerism and demand for high-quality healthcare, greater incidence of lifestyle-related diseases, increasing employer-based insurance coverage, and increased government spending on public healthcare.
Earlier this month, Merritt Hawkins, a physician search and consulting firm, released its 2011 Survey of Final-Year Medical Residents, which shed light on some of physicians’ concerns and expectations upon entering the job market.
The design of INCA—one of the largest healthcare projects in South America—has many chapters. While these chapters are complex, its lessons can be told in two simple statements: Simple solutions often are best revealed in the face of complex problems, and building relationships nurtured by trust is key in any culture.
INCA
Editor’s note: In January 2009, the author joined a U.S. architectural firm at its offices in Doha, Qatar. Several months later, she was offered a position with the national healthcare system in Qatar, where her current position is the director of interiors and research for Hamad Medical Corp., a Joint Commission International-accredited organization.
My experiences in Haiti began shortly after the earthquake in 2010. Available medical staff struggled to keep pace with the volume of casualties needing care. Much of the treatment came from volunteers, who often were poorly equipped.
Because a large amount of the medical care was provided on an emergency basis, and without proper equipment or experience, frequently the treatment of choice was amputation. The result of this strategy is a country with an abundance of amputees, often unsupplied with needed prosthetics.
The donation of no-longer-needed equipment and supplies can appear as a win-win solution, but like other sustainability initiatives, a scratch on the surface may reveal a brown color underneath a green veneer.
As part of our Editorial team’s daily efforts to bring you relevant industry news (and to keep up to speed on topics we should be covering in print and online), there are a variety of news feeds we peruse and websites we check. One of my favorites saved to my “favorites” is the Construction Blog for Seattle Children’s cancer and critical care expansion project.
We all have those songs that pop into our heads for no apparent reason. Maybe they’re random and maybe they are a window into our souls—who is to say?
