It's interesting how we label the different generations and assign them general characteristics, as if a whole generation can be lumped together and described as one. And yet it is true that each generation often does have common needs and traits, and various industries from retail to healthcare use these general understandings to create products and services tailored to a distinct generation.

Sometimes though, the needs or wants of one generation are completely different from, or even at odds with another generation. Other times, there are cross-over similarities that can be addressed through universal design. Initially, universal design was a term used only when in reference to accessibility through design and was typically used in regards to designing for aging in place.

But an upcoming free webinar sponsored by J+J Flooring Group and Pressalit Care, will expand the traditional view of universal design. On June 22, 2017, two experts, Jane M. Rohde, AIA, FIIDA, ASID, ACHA, CHID, LEED AP BD+C, Green Globes CIEB Assessor Principal and Jordana L. Maisel, PhD, Director of Research Activities, Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access will present "Beyond Aging in Place: Opportunities and Innovative Solutions through Universal Design". These two will broaden our views with an understanding of how universal design supports sustainable design.

I hope you will join us for this webinar, along with all the other learning opportunities we offer, both in-person and online, that include workshops, Health Design Insights Networking events, on-demand webinars and EBD Journal Clubs. You can view all of our events on our website calendar.

In the Insights and Solutions section of our website, we offer the resources and tools that will provide you with knowledge that's actionable, knowledge you can quickly incorporate into your projects, along with the latest industry news to see what others are doing. Here's just a few of the open resources you will find there:

As always, let me know what tools and resources are helpful to you, and we'll feature them in our future newsletters.

The millennial generation is all grown up. The youngest millennials are heading into their 20s, the oldest are in their mid-30s. Individuals in this demographic, which has overtaken the baby boomers as the largest age cohort in the U.S., not only are making decisions about their own health care, they are driving care decisions for their children and parents.

To serve the needs of this large and influential segment of the health care market, providers and designers are looking to create facilities built for a new generation.

Frank Zilm, D. Arch., FAIA, FACHA, Chester Dean Director of the Institute for Health+Wellness Design at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, says that to address the needs of a new patient population, health care and design professionals should begin by researching places the people in question tend to congregate. Healthcare Facilities Management, more ...

The Federal Communications Commission hasn't yet overturned existing net neutrality rules, but the Republican-led agency is widely expected to soon.

Even ardent supporters of rules to ensure web traffic isn't subject to preferential treatment by internet service providers seem ready to throw in the towel on the fight, including Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, whose company (along with Google, Facebook and many others) has long fought for stronger regulations on ISPs such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon.

There are bigger questions about what a reversal of net neutrality rules could mean for healthcare – especially for areas such as telemedicine, remote monitoring and health information exchange. Healthcare IT News more . . .

Healthcare Facility Renovation Addresses Patient Experience

When a visitor walks onto the renovated Farr 8 inpatient floor at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, the environment may feel different from other acute care floors. This unit is softened with sconce lighting, warm wooden floors, and natural color palettes; floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of the foliage canopies in an adjacent residential neighborhood; corridors are free of clutter and obstructions; and the floor is quiet. “We wanted to solve the problems that typically plague hospital environments,” says Marjorie Serrano, nursing director for cardiac surgery at BIDMC, who was involved in planning the recent renovation of the floor along with her clinical staff. “Hallways are often congested with equipment and linen hampers, and staff congregate around busy nurses’ stations. In the previous space, shared patient rooms were cramped, didn’t have adequate privacy, and couldn’t accommodate visitors. It was too noisy and too busy.” Healthcare Design, more . . .

High Stakes of Healthcare Planning

“The future isn’t what it used to be.”—Paul Valery

This great quote, often misattributed to Yogi Berra, has been an icebreaker in my presentations for more than 20 years. As medical planners, and therefore futurists, our world is all about making important decisions about things that haven’t happened yet based partly on past evidence, what we know will change, and some educated guesses on what we think will change.

With hospital construction taking upwards of 10 years from planning and design to construction and occupancy, we’re often proven wrong even before the first patient arrives. This is high-stakes betting impacting billions of dollars and ultimately millions of lives. Luckily, we now have a catchy buzzword for this line of work: Future proofing. Healthcare Design, more...

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