In a recent blog, I asked how to prove the payoff of patient-centered design—what tangible benefits can be measured from its use? I shared a few research projects that shed some light on the ongoing benefits of putting the patient (and family) first in facility design, with results including higher patient satisfaction and a boost to the bottom line.
In order to maintain competitiveness and profitability, healthcare systems must balance rising energy costs with increased needs for advanced technology. But is it possible for hospitals to increase their use of energy-intensive medical equipment while also reducing energy consumption?
When the lights went out in Lower Manhattan as super storm Sandy passed through the city on Oct. 29, 2012, there remained just one hospital left functioning in the sea of darkness that remained south of 57th Street.
Beth Israel Hospital had realized that a weather event of this kind, if not of more intensity, would be devastating and had tied its critical systems to backup generators. And it worked. In fact, the hospital not only was able to remain open but stepped in to provide emergency and critical services as other nearby facilities were closed.
Hospitals and healthcare systems across the country are struggling with what’s quickly becoming the new normal, a business environment tempered by waning reimbursements, consolidations, physician integration, and focus on quality and accountability.
And at the center of this transition is the need to define a new care delivery model.
Following an opening keynote by Paul H. Keckley, PhD, executive director, Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, on the far-reaching implications of healthcare reform, a morning plenary session at the ASHE PDC Summit set the scene for how this climate has shaped, and will continue to shape, building projects.
Teri G. Fontenot, president and CEO of Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, La., shared the story of her facility’s new campus and how what was originally planned to be built took a new course in light of the business environment that eventually unfolded.
The third annual Product Pavilion People’s Choice Awards invited attendees of the 2012 Healthcare Design Conference to vote for the products they thought featured the most innovative design—ranging from flooring to patient room marker boards.
After covering the healthcare design industry for two-plus years now, it’s occurred to me that my perception of the industry has changed quite a bit. I’ve gone from beginning to recognize critical design elements (like when I realized wayfinding was a common solution to my own frustrations of being lost in healthcare spaces) to expecting them to be there.
The idea: During the renovation of an interior dining room at Florida Hospital Altamonte in Altamonte Springs, Fla., an idea to increase dining capacity by extending the project outside was born.
The existing outdoor dining area began as a covered smoking shelter next to the main service drive. Visitors felt the space reflected poorly on the facility overall and didn’t inspire confidence in the healthcare services provided there.
Though not a newcomer to the commercial construction landscape, modular building is nevertheless picking up steam—and making significant headway in healthcare, to boot. From shortening schedules to reducing waste, the practice offers solutions to a variety of project challenges.
Gone is the weekend and after-hour panic when an ear infection or strep throat sets in, and the physician’s office has long been closed. Now, instead of counting down the hours until the next morning, folks are hopping over to the closest shopping plaza to check in at a retail clinic.
Integrating art into a facility must be considered at a high level, from reflecting the culture of the people who use the space to being able to function effectively within its operations.
But a few roadblocks may be encountered before a project even gets off the ground.
At first glance, an art installation may appear to be the simple effort of hanging a painting on the wall. But to achieve a truly effective art program, designers require much more than a hammer and nail to integrate their chosen pieces into a building.
