September 15, 2016

The Scoop

Creating a Unified Appearance 

Health care facilities have undergone numerous physical changes over the past several years as the creation of specialized units within the hospital’s walls have given way to ambulatory clinics to solidify surgical, birthing, rehabilitation, wound care, radiology, emergency department and diagnostic functions.

Concurrent with these physical modifications have been shifts in ownership alignments as mergers and acquisitions of entities ranging from systems to physician practices have played a larger role in the profiles of the modern health care organization.

A wider variety of facilities representing disparate previous owners presents a fundamental shift for health care interior designers attempting to work within health care organizations’ purchasing structures to achieve a unified appearance.
Health Facilities Management, more...

Indiana Health System Will Open Eight Microhospitals 

Indiana-based St. Vincent health system will expand access to both emergency and primary care with plans to build eight new emergency microhospitals and three ambulatory care centers, the system announced Monday.

The first of the facilities opens Summer 2017.

Set to be located throughout central Indiana, each facility will house emergency beds, as well as inpatient beds when patients require additional testing and overnight stays. Patients requiring more advanced care can also be transferred to other facilities.

Larger health systems nationwide are also expanding their footprints through these small but fully equipped facilities where wait times are likely shorter than in major hospital emergency departments. The microhospitals are usually in communities that are further away from major medical facilities, helping to bridge a gap in care, and they are an attractive model to large health systems because they do not carry the same costs of a full-scale hospital.
HEALTHCARE FINANCE, more... 

Hospitals Are Partnering With Uber to Get Patients to Checkups

Edith Stowe, 83, waited patiently on a recent afternoon at the bus stop outside MedStar Washington Hospital Center in the District of Columbia. It’s become routine for her, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

Stowe, who lives about five miles from the hospital, comes into the medical center twice every three months to get checkups for chronic kidney failure. She doesn’t own a car and relies on buses. During rush hour, buses are more frequent, and she can keep the commute to about 30 minutes. But when she has to come in the middle of the day, it takes her at least an hour to get in and another hour to get home.

“It’s pretty good except for waiting during non-rush hours,” she said. “When that happens I don’t plan anything else for the day.”
The Atlantic, more...

Using Art To Spark New Discussions At Springfield University Hospital

Artwork programs have come a long way toward being recognized as a vital part of a warm and inviting healthcare setting that promotes healing.

However, appropriate safety concerns in behavioral healthcare facilities have left some facilities in this sector lagging behind. London artist Tim A. Shaw and curator Niamh White saw this firsthand while visiting a friend in a mental health unit.

“We were struck by how cold and clinical the healthcare environment was,” Shaw says. “The artwork on the unit didn’t do much to change the atmosphere or suit the space or its audience. If someone is mentally and physically unwell, it seems common sense that the right environment to live and recover is vitally important.”
Healthcare Design, more...

Taking Shape: Trends, New Care Models, Research Set Pace for Facilities of Tomorrow

It’s no secret that the healthcare industry has seen major shifts over the last few years. Government regulations, technological advancements and new models for care have all played a role in transforming approaches and expectations when it comes to healthcare in the U.S. This new mindset is causing ripple effects across the entire healthcare ecosystem with healthcare facilities often at the frontlines, facing the challenge of incorporating these upgrades and updates before anyone else.

By avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach, those leading the pack understand where to invest in order to achieve maximum impact and are helping to dictate the key differentiators and features that will define facilities of the future.

Seeing the changing industry tides as an opportunity, healthcare facilities of the future will prioritize operational improvements, sustainable design methods, new methods for delivering care at a community level and research initiatives.
Medical Construction & Design, more...

Listen Up: Design Strategies To Quiet Healthcare Environments

If you stand in the hallway of a hospital unit, what do you hear?

On any given day, most facilities’ floors are filled with an array of noises caused by paging, code alerts, medical equipment, footsteps, and conversations. Yet there’s an increased awareness that such sounds, if left unchecked, can be harmful to the health of patients, staff, and healthcare organizations.

The latest research reveals that noise in healthcare settings can prevent patients from sleeping and increase their stress and blood pressure—all of which might have a negative impact on recovery. Furthermore, noisy hospital environments typically receive lower ratings from patients on the HCAHPS survey. Since HCAHPS scores are directly related to reimbursement rates, this means that noise can impact the financial status of an organization. Healthcare Design, more . . .

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