Blogs - April 2014
Household model of long-term care transforming communities
A growing number of nursing homes are making big changes to create a more personalized appeal
4/30/2014
Supporting well communities by design
Healthcare Design article discusses using modern design to make care facilities the centerpieces of wellness-oriented, collaborative communities
4/30/2014
Vermont hospital transitioning to single rooms
Plans are in the works for full renovations and new construction at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington
4/29/2014
Can a healthcare campus affect the wellness of its community?
In an article on the Healthcare Design magazine website, Managing Editor Jennifer Kovacs Silvis discusses connecting design to overall population health
4/29/2014
Twin Falls healthcare providers focus on cutting waste
Hospitals have conservation programs in place and recycle or reuse whenever possible
4/28/2014
Wisconsin nursing homes becoming more homelike
New breed of facility is being built in a 'household model.' They are smaller with lots of sunlight and spaces for socializing and quieter spots for contemplation
4/25/2014
Healthcare space booming in Orlando
More medical-related space is scheduled to open in Orlando next year than in at least the previous four years combined
4/25/2014
Hospital launches sustainable food program
Yale-New Haven Hospital starts Hospital Wrap!, a program that recovers food that has been prepared but not served and donates it to those in need
4/24/2014
Building a hospital based on patient safety
WellStar Paulding Hospital's main focus is to create the safest hospital possible
4/24/2014
New Missouri $190M patient tower earns LEED gold
Columbia's Ellis Fischel Cancer Center's north-south orientation provides views of farmland to the south and the University of Missouri campus to the north, while sunshades on the south facade help mitigate the glare from direct sunlight
4/24/2014
Ambulatory facilities are focus of healthcare's future
Surgery centers, cancer centers, imaging centers, neighborhood-focused community clinics and medical office buildings are expected to be growth areas
4/23/2014
Making the business case for hospital design
Healthcare Design article discusses the renewed resonance of ROI for hospital design in the era of healthcare reform
4/22/2014
Designing entrances for seniors
Healthcare Design magazine article discusses remedying tripping hazards to prevent visitor and patient falls, and injury due to other accidents
4/21/2014
UNC Hospital Wellness Center includes climbing wall
University of North Carolina Hospital commissioned a new wellness and fitness center for use by hospital patients and staff and the community
4/17/2014
Florida Hospital honored for sustainability
Florida Hospital Carrollwood is recognized for its efforts to decrease consumption of fuel, water and energy
4/16/2014
Grant to help clear the air around Indiana hospital ambulance bays
Hospitals in Dyer, Hammond and Crown Point will share a $52,500 grant to help reduce ambulance emissions outside of their emergency departments
4/15/2014
Cost of LEED healthcare facility almost the same as building to code
Misperceptions about the capital cost of LEED-certified hospitals has some believing that certification can cost more than 10 to 15 percent more than standard practice
4/14/2014
Changing healthcare landscape will change facilities
Survey suggests that the emphasis in healthcare building is beginning to shift toward greater facility flexibility, ease of design and overall efficiency
4/14/2014
Connecticut hospital recognized for enduring design
Legacy Project Award honors Griffin Hospital for enduring design excellence
4/11/2014
Healing gardens aren't one-type-fits-all
According to a Healthcare Design magazine article, while there are general design guidelines for healthcare gardens, different patient populations often need specific design considerations
4/11/2014
Top 30 green hospitals named
Hospitals were selected based on criteria including certifications from environmental bodies, recycling efforts, green construction and innovative energy saving features
4/11/2014
Largest U.S. neuroscience facility built in Bethesda
National Institutes of Health's John Edward Porter Neuroscience Research Center has geothermal wells, ground source heat pumps and chilled beams
4/11/2014
$70.5 million children's health center planned in Toronto
McMaster Children's Health Centre will include an outdoor wheeling track, a therapeutic playground and physiotherapy space
4/11/2014
Pocono facility stresses aesthetics, convenience
Artwork, homelike settings and gentle atmospheric lighting greet patients at Pennsylvania clinic
4/10/2014
Saskatchewan system explores new way of delivering healthcare
New Yorkton facility is being designed to decrease hospital admissions by linking people to primary healthcare
4/10/2014
Charlotte behavioral-health hospital resembles a lodge
The inpatient hospital is designed with a comforting and relaxing environment with wood floors, natural paint colors, windows and outdoor concourses
4/10/2014
New generation of ambulatory care facilities popping up
Survey shows 20 percent of healthcare industry respondents are currently working on or planning an ambulatory care construction project
4/9/2014
Wayfinding often hampered by med speak
Healthcare Design magazine blog examines how word choice, acronyms can confuse hospital visitors
4/9/2014
Cherokee Indian Hospital planned in North Carolina
New 150,000-square-foot healthcare facility will serve an estimated 15,000 tribe members across the western part of the state
4/9/2014
Modular walls may be a greener solution for healthcare facility
Prefabricated, modular interiors can be a better choice than drywall due to potential health risks of constructing spaces with gypsum
4/8/2014
New Springfield surgery center designed for safety, satisfaction
St. John's Hospital Surgery Center has roomier surgical rooms and many patient-friendly amenities
4/7/2014
Remembering the caregiver in cancer center design
Healthcare Design magazine article says clinical setting should support work function and provide a supportive and positive environment
4/7/2014
Marlborough Hospital opens new cancer pavilion
Photo gallery on Healthcare Design magazine website offers virtual tour of new Massachusetts cancer facility
4/4/2014
Dallas hospital breaks ground on $118 million patient tower
The expansion will include 34,000 square feet of additional operating rooms, cardiology and gastroenterology services and 64,000 square feet of additional support services
4/4/2014
Changing the waiting room experience
Facility managers can address the waiting experience by focusing on the increased presence of family in patient care and the escalated use of technology
4/3/2014
New Cornell University health center design takes shape
The design has been unveiled for a new university health center at Cornell as an update and expansion of the current Gannett Health Services facility
4/2/2014
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center honored for enduring quality of design
The ACHA Legacy Project Award recognizes design innovation that endures throughout the life of a project
4/1/2014