January 26, 2017

The Scoop

The Great Unknown

This has been an eventful week. Last Friday brought the ushering in of a new President and with him a new political party majority. This was followed by millions of people worldwide coming together on Saturday, in distinctive hand knit pink hats, to stand up for ideals and issues of importance to them. Amongst the many concerns people were marching for, is access to affordable, quality healthcare. 

Although there is so much about the next four years we don’t yet know and even less we know about how any changes may impact healthcare, capital projects and in turn our industry, what we do know is that the need for physical spaces where people will go to receive their care will not diminish.  In fact, it is likely to continue to expand as we broaden the definition of a healthcare space to beyond the traditional physicians office or hospital patient room and the baby boomer population continues to age.

And so, like the millions who marched on Saturday, as an industry we continue to march on for what we believe in as well. We continue to champion for healthcare environments that are safe, accessible and patient-centric. We continue to champion for healthcare environments that contribute to health outcomes and the health of our communities. And we continue to raise the bar on what we expect from ourselves in creativity, resourcefulness and ingenuity so we can create healthcare environments that contribute to the quality of life of the patients, families and staff who are there every day. For if we don’t as the designers and keepers of healthcare environments, who will?

Be well,

Debra Levin, EDAC
President and CEO

Team-Based Health Care: Improved Patient Experience by Design

Team-based health care provides health services to individuals and families by a group of health providers who work collaboratively with patients and center care around the patient’s individual needs. This delivery model makes shared goals a priority in order to achieve coordinated, high-quality care. Growing in popularity due to mounting evidence of enhanced patient experience, this health care model is now used in several Colorado health care facilities.

In the team-based delivery model, providers are the leaders of the care team, which includes not only doctors, but also nurses, physical, speech and occupational therapists, and administrative support staff. Its purpose is to create a remarkable patient experience by engaging the patient at every point in the process, providing services to fit the patient’s needs, and making it easy for the patient to access the resources that support lifelong wellness. 
HC+O News, more ...
 

Massachusetts Hospital Adds Digital Welcome for Kids

Design firms spend a lot of time creating positive distractions in patient rooms, waiting spaces, and respite areas, all in an effort to reduce stress and create welcoming environments for patients and families. In pediatric facilities, those efforts are especially meaningful and can range from child-friendly artwork and graphics to interactive play sets and virtual reality experiences. Recently, Payette (Boston) embarked on a project that helped stretch the firm’s approach to these strategies as well as its understanding of the value of patient education.

The project began as the brainchild of 12-year-old Wendy Wooden, a patient at MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHFC) in Boston, with a complex medical history resulting in long stays at the hospital. A couple of years ago, a family friend reached out to Wendy and her mom, Darcy Daniels, for advice on preparing for a hospital visit. The young patient was inspired to share her knowledge and experiences and decided to write a short narrative to help familiarize young patients and their families with what they might face inside the ED to alleviate some trepidation. Healthcare Design, more . . .
 

Hygiene's Technological Revolution

Technological advancements have made our daily lives more efficient and thorough. Lately, we've noticed technology's growing impact on hygiene. In fact, a new survey revealed that technology like modernized healthcare equipment can have a significant impact on making our lives healthier. In hospitals, we know that hygiene is paramount in mitigating infection spread. Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) affect millions of patients worldwide each year, making them the most frequent adverse event in healthcare delivery around the globe. Because of this, it's a truly critical time to continue improving hygiene management within healthcare facilities.

To address this, various healthcare institutions are implementing Internet of Things (IoT) innovations to help better manage upkeep. Interconnected technology, technology that collects data and works together to improve efficiencies, offers environmental services managers a more effective way to gather information and oversee facilities. McKnight's, more...

NYC Health Facility Construction Boom Reflects Changes in Care

The robust market for health care facility construction in New York City is expected to continue into this year and beyond, according to "Healthy City: Inside New York City’s Hospital Building Boom," a new report from the New York Building Congress.

The Building Congress forecasts that health care construction spending in New York will increase to slightly more than $3.3 billion in 2017 from about $3 billion in 2016 for a total of about $6.3 billion over the two years.

The New York Building Congress asked New York hospitals to forecast construction spending for 2016 through 2020. Based on the responses, the Building Congress estimates that New York City hospitals will spend more than $10 billion on construction from 2016 through 2020. Of that amount, $8.2 billion in spending is slated for 2016 through 2018. 
Healthcare Facilities Management, more . . . 

A Survey Challenges the Efficacy of Decentralized Nurses Station Design

When evidence-based design collides with conventional wisdom, the outcome will sometimes be disruptive.

Take, for example, the generally accepted advantages in patient care and observation related to decentralizing nurses’ stations in hospitals, which is becoming standard practice for healthcare clients and their AEC partners.
Building Design + Construction, more . . . 

The Center’s work is made possible with the funding support of our Partner: