HVAC - August 2014
ACA creates new healthcare design standard
As healthcare tries to be more efficient, facility needs are evolving to reflect the effort by creating an environment that makes patients want to come back
8/29/2014
Michigan VA employees 'adopt' facility gardens
Medical center employees volunteer their time to make the grounds in Iron Mountain more welcoming for their patients
8/29/2014
Imaging room designed to ease 'scanxiety'
Hospitals are beginning to build patient-calming features into their MRI, CT and other scanning suites
8/28/2014
Evaluating your wayfinding system
Shift thinking about wayfinding as being just about signs to being a holistic approach to communications
8/28/2014
Design features can influence nurse job satisfaction
Study finds environment can help communication and teamwork
8/28/2014
Starting a plastics recycling program
Plastics recycling in a patient care setting is an advanced recycling option, so consider your hospital's commitment to sustainability
8/27/2014
Hospital food is being redefined
The mass-produced, institutional cafeteria model is being replaced by scratch-prepared food
8/27/2014
Hospital room design helps healing
Patients asked for 30 percent less pain medication in redesigned room
8/26/2014
Balancing present, future needs with design
To conceptualize new elements, a full-scale mock-up and logistics work session should be organized very early in design
8/26/2014
Designer gives teen's hospital space a new look
'Dec My Room' project rehabs room at Texas Children's Hospital
8/26/2014
Boston Children's Hospital building designed for quiet
Facility's patient rooms structured for longer hospital stays
8/25/2014
New helicopter pad on Scottish hospital causing concern
Sources say the helipad hangs over the side of the building and has no fencing
8/21/2014
Healthcare spaces affect attitudes, behaviors
Traditional exam rooms can be intimidating environments
8/21/2014
New Indiana hospital adopts patient-centered design
Cameron Memorial Community Hospital focusing on safety and comfort
8/21/2014
Sanford Fargo Medical Center to get new lobby, patient rooms
The lobby will cover 4,000 square feet and will rise to 44 feet at the highest point
8/21/2014
Omaha medical center sculpture recognizes leader
Abstract floral sculpture is located in the Nebraska Medical Center's Storz Pavilion
8/19/2014
Creating healthcare workplace efficiencies
Architects and designers can play a role in helping to create spaces that are more operationally efficient, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website
8/19/2014
Post-occupancy evaluation measures success of clinic design
Evaluation reveals that the clinic realized an 83 percent reduction in staff footsteps, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website
8/18/2014
Hospital maximizes light with tintable glass
Electronically tintable glass at Fairview Ridges Hospital also boosts energy efficiency
8/18/2014
Funeral home renovated into physical rehab center
Funeral home renovation project's toughest obstacle was changing community perception, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website.
8/14/2014
Natural, neutral colors trending for healthcare spaces
Paint colors can help facility managers create a positive patient experience
8/14/2014
Health City Cayman Islands blends low costs, tropical setting
It's going to take some major changes for hospitals in the U.S. to compete with coral-sand beaches and high-quality healthcare offered at a low price
8/13/2014
Why does design thinking matter?
Design firms can deliver design thinking to solve complex problems blending together design and strategic thinking, according to a blog on the Healthcare Design website
8/13/2014
Assessing facilities to determining capital investment
It's crucial that administrators choose where to invest based on accurate data and thorough analysis
8/13/2014
Designing behavioral health outpatient facilities
Coordinated care trend is gaining traction with the design of outpatient behavioral health practices, according to an article on the Behaviorial Healthcare website
8/13/2014
Healthcare projects honored for design
Eight projects named in AIA's National Healthcare Design Awards, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website
8/12/2014
Improving patient flow can significantly reduce costs
Maine Medical Center demonstrates how operational efficiency can lower design and construction costs
8/11/2014
Design can contain germs in the ER
Private rooms for patients and an isolation room can support infection control
8/11/2014
Challenges for healthcare designers
Designers called on to help healthcare organizations act on the known - and unknown - changes on the horizon, according to a blog on the Healthcare Design website
8/8/2014
Designing for population health
By looking through the client's eyes, designers can gain a new understanding of how design can bend the health and wellness curve
8/7/2014
Value-driven approach sets priorities in cancer-care design
A value tree map helps organize requests according to basic, target, and aspirational goals, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website
8/6/2014
New Texas hospital focusing on patient experience
Walnut Hill is hoping that ideas borrowed from Ritz Carlton and a warm, natural light-filled building design will draw in patients
8/5/2014
Upgrading ORs without affecting care
Existing infrastructure, portable technology and a trend toward hybrid operating rooms all play a part, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website
8/5/2014
Georgia skilled nursing facility designed for neighborhood feel
$28 million Columbus facility is set on 28 acres with an outdoor rehab courtyard and different walking surfaces to simulate orchard gardens
8/4/2014
Cincinnati hospital has 2.5-acre living roof
Every patient room has a view of the West Hospital roof which features a mixture of 65,000 native plants, according to an article on the Healthcare Design
8/4/2014
Massachusetts hospital kitchen going green
Hospital upgrading the systems using energy-efficient equipment
8/4/2014
N.Y. hospital to get $1.1 billion for Hurricane Sandy repairs
Funds include $589 million for hazard mitigation work at the NYU's Langone Medical Center main campus
8/4/2014
Philadelphia children's hospital expanding ambulatory care network
New center is being designed to create an environment that children and teenagers would find fresh and interesting, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website
8/1/2014
Active living trend expected to stick around
Older adults are demanding more from their long-term living environments than just a place to live, according to an article on the Environments for Aging website
8/1/2014