The design of clinic spaces must meet the needs of multiple audiences—patients, the medical team, the community, and the healthcare organization—while taking into account the external pressures affecting the industry as a whole. It’s critical for designers to interact with all these audiences, as each has a significant impact on the approach to creating a healthcare space.
The gleaming copper and glass of the Paul S. Russell, MD, Museum of Medical History and Innovation presents a welcoming new face of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) to Boston.
In the context of healthcare environments, there is a compelling body of literature on the use of “restorative” visual images that can reduce stress, anxiety, and pain perception. While various theories are in place, evidence has not extended to the particular case of emergency department (ED) waiting, which is a uniquely high-stress environment with prolonged wait times.
Staffers in healthcare facilities are more collaborative than ever, and laptops, tablets, and other mobile devices make that process easier and more effective. For our 2012 student competition, Nurture by Steelcase, HEALTHCARE DESIGN magazine, and The Center for Health Design challenged teams of college students to respond to this trend by designing spaces that support a mobile work environment.
Thanks to the large demands for electrical and heating loads in hospitals, combined heat and power (CHP), also known as cogeneration, has emerged as an attractive option for facilities looking to cut energy costs and go green. And Geisinger Health System, headquartered in Danville, Pa., put it to the test.
Not every patient who comes to the hospital needs to be admitted, but it can take time for a physician to decide whether they do or don’t. And so, many patients are put on observation status and kept in the hospital (generally up to 23 hours) either in an observation unit, in the emergency department (ED), or in an inpatient unit.
Because there are various observation bed models, and because observation status is an important part of patient care, this topic inevitably becomes significant in the pre-design and programming phases of an architectural project.
Stamford Hospital has had a long and close association with the city of Stamford, located on the Connecticut coast just 25 miles north of New York City. The hospital serves a diverse population of 120,000-plus middle- and lower-income urban residents, including a high percentage of immigrants, as well as the more affluent communities of suburban North Stamford and nearby Darien.
Designers often use storytelling as a way to communicate with clients. And a strong narrative becomes even more crucial in an evidence-based design (EBD) project, opening the doors for more innovation. It shows the client and user what’s important beyond the functions of the space and how the two are interwoven.
For some, the choice to receive healthcare isn’t always an easy one to make. From juggling work and kids to not having transportation or money to cover the cost, there are a variety of reasons that going to the doctor may end up taking a back seat.
With a mission statement of “exceptional care, without exception,” Boston Medical Center (BMC) strives to make this process a little bit easier—regardless of one’s social or economic circumstances.
I was recently asked what percentage of hospitals in the United States has started work on environmental stewardship activities. My answer is 100%. Every hospital has an action-oriented staffer who’s taken it upon themselves to do the right thing: a nurse collecting no-longer-needed medical supplies, an administrative staffer collecting toner cartridges for recycling, or an architect looking for low-flow water fixtures.
On the afternoon of Nov. 6, healthcare futurist Joe Flower predicted President Obama would see another term, and with that new term healthcare reform would see implementation. As it turned out later that night, he was correct.
In 2009, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare recognized that healthcare reform was coming down the pike and with it the need for providers that are both efficient and effective in offering patient-centered care.
