Integrated care can benefit from psychiatric facility design
Providing treatment for both medical and psychiatric illnesses in one location can be beneficial to the patient as long as the space is designed for safety, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website
Integrated care is an important treatment model, but there hasn't been much discussion about the physical environment and the challenges of designing for psychiatric patients, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website. Many of the elements that are designed for general hospitals that would be dangerous for psychiatric patients are from earlier times and may not be needed today, according to the article.
Effective defend-in-place strategies depend on compartmentation, fire-rated assemblies and ongoing staff training to protect patients who cannot quickly evacuate.
Located at One Center Square, in downtown Allentown, the campus will include more than 54,000 square feet of newly constructed medical education space.