May 17, 2018

The Scoop

Design's Healing Power

In this digital age, filled with apps on our phones, tablets and computers, we have access, at our fingertips, to more information than ever before. Sometimes, these feel like amazing powerful tools and other times, it feels like there is too much information bombarding us through these devices - the powerful tool is both addicting and distracting.  

Adding to this information overload stress, is the fact that most of us deal with very tight project timelines with little time to discover and bring the latest research and tools to the table as a member of various teams and projects. Knowing where to find essential resources quickly and easily is key. The Center wants to provide you with everything you need when you need it, helping to make your life a little easier. Research that's accessible, tools that are intuitive and practical, and resources that increase your knowledge base. One of the deepest and most used resources on our site is the Knowledge Repository - a one-stop, user-friendly, FREE library of healthcare design resources with nearly 4,000 citations related to healthcare design. Over 500 new citations have been added over the last year.  

To keep you up-to-date with the most recent additions added in March and April, our research team has created the latest
Research in a Snap, a downloadable PDF listing these citations that cover topics such as:

• Dementia
• Aging/Elders
• Behavioral Health
• Operating Room Design
• Infection Prevention
• Acoustics/Noise
• Design Process

I'll bet many of you have recently completed a project that used an evidence-based design process. If so, I encourage you to submit an application to the Evidence-Based Design Touchstone Awards. Applications for this round are due on June 15, 2018 and we are providing an information session to answer any questions you may have regarding the program and submission criteria on June 8.  Remember, this round of award recipients will be recognized at this year's Healthcare Design Expo & Conference. Awards are given to projects that show exemplary achievement across touchstones of the EBD process: collaboration, evaluation, and sharing. (You can see the 2017 recipients here.)

As we continue to celebrate our 25th anniversary, our pledge to you is to continue to offer you the needed tools, resources and insights to ensure all healthcare environments are healthy, safe and produce the best possible outcomes for patients, families, and staff. You can be a part of our celebration by donating to The Center for Health Design. Donations help us achieve the research, education, and advocacy goals that unleash design's healing power in the U.S. and abroad and help us to reach our financial goal of ensuring a strong future for decades yet to come. Click here to make a contribution to The Center and make a difference in the future of healthcare.  

Be well,

Debra Levin, EDAC
President and CEO

Industry News Briefs
 

Designing for Staff Efficiency

The way a hospital is designed can improve staff efficiency in many ways, such as minimizing steps required, and reducing fatigue and stress. Certain design components, such as standardized rooms and floor plans, can result in greater efficiency.

Standardized room design provides a consistent manner in which to deliver care. The orientation of staff to the patient and to other elements in the room, such as the hand-washing sink and supplies, are the same from room to room. “This approach reduces time spent searching for supplies and equipment,” says Jocelyn Stroupe, CHID, EDAC, IIDA, ASID, principal and director of health interiors, CannonDesign, Chicago. “Staff are familiar with the room’s organization and can focus more time on caring for the patient.”  Healthcare Facilities Today,  more. . . 

Two Reasons Why Ambulatory Care Facilities Struggle with Infection Control Standards

Three of the 10 most problematic standards for accredited ambulatory care organizations and office-based surgery practices were related to infection and prevention control activities, according to an article on the Becker's ASC Review website.

According to Sylvia Garcia-Houchins, The Joint Commission's infection control director, two reasons why organizations struggle to comply with these standards are the increasing use of robotics and discarding manufacturer's guidelines. 

Garcia-Houchins recommends educating staff on best practices for infection control and providing online access to the manufacturer's guidelines.
Becker's ASC Review, more . . .

Healthcare Facility Adds Calming Live Music to Common Areas

Music is a universal language. It can inspire, nurture and calm the soul beyond words. And at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, music is a soothing balm for patients, family and staff who flow throughout the facility daily, thanks to the Center Stage Arts in Health program. Lobbies, waiting rooms and common areas become comforting oases from the waves of stress, anxiety and drama found in any hospital environment.

The founders of Penn State College of Medicine blazed the trail for Center Stage by launching a humanities department in 1967. Like the College of Medicine’s Department of Family and Community Medicine — also celebrating its 50th anniversary — the Department of Humanities was the first of its kind at any medical college in the U.S. As with anything new and different, people at the time questioned why a college of medicine needed a department associated with liberal arts education.
Penn State News, more . . 

Submit Innovative Architectural and Interior Design Solutions to the Healthcare Environment Awards 2018

Submission Deadline is July 13, 2018

The Healthcare Environment Awards honor healthcare interior architecture and design across a range of project types. Co-sponsored by Contract magazine and The Center for Health Design, in cooperation with the Healthcare Design Expo & Conference, the Healthcare Environment Awards are published in the November issue of Contract magazine. 
More information here

2018 CODAawards -
Recognizing Design + Art - Deadline May 31

The CODAawards celebrate the design projects that most successfully integrate commissioned art into interior, architectural, or public spaces. Winners in healthcare and 9 other categories are featured in exhibition, print, & international media.
Enter by May 31