The new New Orleans VA hospital was designed to be disaster resistant because healthcare design is evolving to deal with worsening weather events, according to an article on the Fast Company website.
Hurricane Katrina revealed the vulnerabilities of the area's healthcare facilities. In the New Orleans area, seven of 16 hospitals with acute care centers remained closed two years after the storm, the article said.
The new VA hospital's perimeter can withstand category three storms and the walls are hardened to resist blasts, ballistic assaults, and ramming.
The emergency room is on the second floor and vehicles access it via a ramp that also doubles as a boat launch.
The Role of Positive Distraction in Pediatric Design
Healthcare Waste is Fueling America's Debt
Prairie Lakes Healthcare System to Rebrand Following Sanford Health Merger
How Digital Technologies Are Reshaping Performance in Healthcare Facilities
The Role of Plumbing in Healthcare-Associated Infections