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OCTOBER 2021
Education Everywhere
It’s a busy time here at The Center as we make final preparations to head off to Cleveland for this year’s Healthcare Design Expo & Conference. After missing a year of getting together in person, I’m looking forward to it with greater anticipation and gratitude.
As much as I value the chance to reconnect personally with friends and colleagues, it’s also a time to feed my own passion for life-long education – challenging my thinking with the brilliance of experts I’ve long known and respected, and the ideas and solutions proposed by young and upcoming professionals taking on today’s issues in thought-provoking ways. I’m proud of the experts from The Center who are presenting this year.
But if you’re not able to join us this year, it’s reassuring to know that conference is only one of many ways to pursue and satisfy our thirst for learning and knowledge. Everywhere we look – from e-newsletters, podcasts and LinkedIn groups, to webinars, publications and topical meet-ups – are opportunities to engage experts and peers alike in this shared pursuit.
At The Center, COVID may have limited our travel and gatherings, but it compelled us to expand – in exciting and innovative ways – how we fulfill our own educational mission. While we are looking forward to resuming some of our in-person workshops and events in 2022, we’re retaining and building upon the lessons we’ve learned over the last eighteen months about delivering both learning and community-building experiences in engaging and interactive virtual formats.
Whenever, wherever, however, keep on learning. Be well,
Debra Levin, Hon. FASID, EDAC
President and CEO
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PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT
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Viconic Safety
Flooring
Despite our best efforts at fall prevention, falls happen. Conventional flooring offers minimal fall protection. There are an estimated 340,000 hip fractures in the U.S. annually at a cost of over $31 billion. Over 90% of hip fractures are associated with falls. This number may triple by 2050.
Viconic Health is a Michigan-based company that has developed a low-profile proprietary automotive and military grade energy absorbing technology for senior living flooring systems.
The ADA-compliant system supports mobility while enhancing comfort under foot. Their flooring is compatible with any traditional flooring such as vinyl, LVT and carpet, and can be used in residential or commercial remodels, as well as new construction.
With Viconic’s dedication to producing and developing safety flooring, they are demonstrating the ability to greatly reduce the risk of fall-related hip fracture and traumatic brain injury in older adults.
Learn more here.
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Free Tools & Resources
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The Center's Functional Program Guide
Members of The Center’s Environmental Standards Council have developed a guide that consists of five broad steps to assist healthcare providers and facilities in the development of a functional program to optimize subsequent planning, design and construction efforts for proposed capital projects.
Regardless of project scope and scale, the Functional Program must be developed very early in project development to ensure regulatory consistency and compliance, and to maximize its value as the literal foundation of project planning, design, construction and implementation.
Properly executed, it can encourage innovation, favorably impacting cost and timing, potentially avoiding costly delays and exposure during construction or impacting successful operational outcomes.
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Upcoming Events
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Make Sure to Get These HCD 2021 Events on Your Calendar
10/23, W01: Coaching Workshop: Practical Application of Evidence-Based Design
Have you wondered what evidence-based design (EBD) is and would like to incorporate this process into your practice or on your next project? Attend this unique, one-of-a-kind, in-depth workshop where you will be matched with an industry expert who will be your coach for the day.
10/23, W05: EDAC Exam Prep Session
The session provides general information about the exam and the types of questions on the exam, as well as an overview of evidence-based design (EBD) concepts and process.
It’s not too late to register for HCD 2021!
Attendees benefit from access to the latest and best educational content in healthcare design delivered from thought leaders and innovators within the field.
Register here
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Classic Resource
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Slidecast: Private Rooms, Semi-Open Areas, or Open Areas for Chemotherapy Care?
In recent years, the design of spaces for chemotherapy treatment has shifted from private rooms and open units in inpatient settings, to semi-open areas in outpatient care centers. Despite the shift towards ambulatory care, the majority of evidence-based design research in this area is still focused on the inpatient setting.
Designers should consider spaces that provide options for privacy, social interaction, and access to nurses, and views of nature. The number of patients (or treatment pods) per treatment area depends on several constraints set in each project, but designers can refer to the suggestions made in this study as a jumping off point for discussion.
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Healthcare Facilities Resilience Topic of New ASHE Report
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Creating healthcare facilities that can maintain operations during a pandemic is essential. Facilities need to be safe and demonstrate safety to foster public trust and a return to care. Without this, there will continue to be a monumental impact on the healthcare delivery system, as well as patients seeking care for conditions like heart disease, cancer, diabetes or a knee replacement. A new resource from HKS and co-authored by ASHE and other partners, “The Pandemic Resilient Hospital: How Design Can Help Facilities Stay Operational and Safe” walks healthcare facilities managers through design strategies that can help facilities stay operational and safe during a pandemic.
Healthcare Facilities Today, read more...
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5 Key Considerations for Behavioral Health Facilities
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Over 51 million Americans – more than one in five adults – live with a mental illness. Given the events of the last year, that number is only expected to rise, increasing the demands on behavioral health facilities exactly when they are needed most. Yet, there remains a stigma around these facilities that brings to mind cold, sterile places reserved for only the most extreme cases. This depiction discourages people from seeking necessary care for themselves or their loved ones, stunting healthcare professionals’ ability to reach those in need and reducing wellness across the nation.
Medical Construction & Design, read more...
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Graphite Health Launches with Plans to Create a Marketplace for Digital Tools
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The testing, evaluation and integration of digital tools can take months and even years in some cases. A new company, launched by three large health systems, is focused on changing that timeframe to weeks. Called Graphite Health, the company aims to create a plug-and-play environment for digital tools similar to the application stores on smartphones.
MedCity News, read more...
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Contamination Containment: How Lean Design Can Be Used to Prevent Infection Spread in Hospitals
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Last year made it abundantly clear that infection prevention and control in hospitals is paramount to slow the COVID-19 pandemic and maintain a surplus of unoccupied hospital beds. While COVID-19 is at the top of our collective minds, other looming threats such as MRSA, and thousands more documented and unknown zoonotic diseases, mean it’s imperative for hospitals to get a handle on infection control protocols now, in order to prepare for whatever the future brings.
Medical Construction & Design, read more...
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ABOUT US
The Center for Health Design is a nonprofit 501c(3) organization whose mission is to transform healthcare environments for a healthier, safer world through design research, education and advocacy. Learn more. For information about sponsor or partnership opportunities, contact our VP of Relationship Development, Randy Carter.
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