SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland (JBSA) in Texas has replaced its outdated health clinic, first constructed in 1967, with a newer facility that has earned LEED Gold Certification.  The new Reid Health Services Center encompasses 70,088 square feet of space, inclusive of nearly two dozen departments, and housing areas for radiology, clinical labs and a pharmacy.  It is estimated that the new facility will address the needs of some 86,000 trainees per year. 

Architecture and design firm Hoefer Wysocki of Leawood, Kan., worked in collaboration with design-builder JE Dunn Construction, as well as partners BranchPattern, Bob D. Campbell & Co., Land3 Studio and BHC Rhodeson on the project.  The collective team designed the base’s clinic to meet LEED Silver standards, but through careful planning and development, the clinic has gone one step beyond, scoring a 60 out of a possible 110 points on the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)’s Scorecard.  (A minimum score of 60 is required to win Gold status.)

Ashley Eusey, Hoefer Wysocki’s lead sustainability design manager, said that even in the early phases of design, she was confident that her firm could push the envelope beyond a LEED Silver rating. 

“Rather than working only with JE Dunn in the early phases of the design, we pulled in all of our consultants and began brainstorming ways to make this facility more sustainable,” said Eusey.  “It was truly a team effort throughout the entire project, and vetting sustainability during design and early in the construction phase allowed greater flexibility.”

Hoefer Wysocki announced that the new clinic used evidence-based design (EBD) principles in fostering an environment the firm described as “patient-centered.”  This entails improving safety and quality of patient care inside the Reid clinic and also fostering a positive work environment for staff.  The clinic will also have less of a carbon footprint, the firm said.

The post Air Force Health Center Wins LEED Gold appeared first on HCO News.

VANCOUVER — The BC Children’s Hospital & BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre recently completed the new Teck Acute Care Centre in Vancouver. The new acute care center opened in November 2017, and stands out in the healthcare realm for its colorful, geographically based graphics designed to heal and create a warm environment for its patients.

The eight story, 640,000-square-foot building had a budget of $340 million, and was designed by ZGF Architects out of its Seattle office. Balfour Beatty Construction — headquartered in Dallas — was the general contractor on the project. The building is projected to earn LEED Gold certification in the near future.

The new facility includes an emergency department, imaging and procedural suites, hematology and oncology departments, a high-risk birthing suite, neonatal intensive care units and a pediatric intensive care unit.

ZGF interviewed hundreds of children, parents, staff and other stakeholders early on in the process. The results of their research efforts led to the use of “regional cues” in the new acute care center, such as animals and topography in the graphics to help provide context for children staying for extended periods of time. In addition, it was the hope of the design team that familiar imagery would evoke a sense of home and healing for patients.

Another intention of the use of regional cues was chosen by ZGF to promote “biophilia,” — a term which means the promotion of healing by drawing connections to nature — according to a recent statement. Finally, the colorful and distinctive imagery creates improved wayfinding and stress-reduction for patients as well as visitors and staff.

In addition to the colorful and warm graphics of the interior, there are patient and staff-accessible gardens on levels five, six and eight that are intended to emphasize calmness and contemplation to enhance the healing process for patients.

In addition, acoustical treatments of the facility minimize noise disturbance. Public spaces feature natural wood elements to add warmth and make patients and their families feel more at home. The facility uses abundant natural light and glare-minimizing, energy-efficient LED lighting elements to create a more restorative environment for patients and their families.

The post Colorful Graphics Create Healing Environment at Vancouver’s New Acute Care Center appeared first on HCO News.

With the help of Dallas-based HKS Inc. as the lead architectural firm, as well as Self-Tucker Architects and Archimania, both of Memphis, the construction of the eight-story tower began in November 2016, and is currently being erected on top of the standing emergency department that Turner construction built in 2014. The notable design features reflect the goal of the medical facility earning its LEED Gold certification as well as attracting top-ranking medical professionals from all over the globe.

According to Kyle Reeves, Turner project executive for the tower, the team selected a unitized curtain wall glass system that will be pre-assembled off site and erected quicker than a stick built system in order to meet the insistent schedule. The curtain wall includes a dynamic glass system, which changes shade in response to sunlight to help with energy efficiency. The construction also includes two green roof areas, which create a calmer healing environment to improve patient outcomes.

“The use of glass, cast stone and metal panels provides a new identity for the campus entrance while also providing a destination that will attract the world’s top medical professionals,” said Reeves. “The use of dynamic glass throughout the entire project adds a level a comfort for patients and family. A new concourse on level three will be the main pedestrian spine that connects the existing hospital to the new expansion. The main public elevator lobby will have glass walls on two sides with enhanced lighting. Its glass walls rise above the roof level, forming a symbolic beacon that reinforces the faith-based focus of Methodist University Hospital.”

The new tower is expected to elevate patient care for Memphis and the Mid-South. The tower will allow for the consolidation of the hospital’s transplant services into a two-floor inpatient/outpatient comprehensive transplant institute. It will also connect the oncology and outpatient care to create a new cancer center. The expansion allows for a 36 percent increase in ICU capacity and a 20 percent increase in the hospital’s operating room capacity.

“The new facility will be one of the most advanced patient- and family-centered state-of-the-art tertiary care facilities in the Mid-South region,” said Reeves. “This represents a major investment to healthcare in the Midtown Memphis community and innovative spaces that will elevate the care provided to the Mid-South region for generations to come. This new facility will become one of the most advanced patient- and family-centered, state-of-the-art tertiary care facilities in the Mid-South region. This master plan campus improvement will also push MUH further towards its goal of being one of the top academic hospitals in the country.”

The construction of this tower also implements an “integrated project delivery” system (IPD).

“Renovating a space while it remains fully operational can pose a number of challenges. The most frequently cited challenge is that construction often takes longer than it would if the space did not need to remain fully functioning during construction. However, thanks to new collaborative delivery methods like Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), we’re able to mitigate this problem,” said  Reeves.

According to Reeves, IPD focuses on delivering value, eliminating waste and continuously improving. It encourages collaboration, shared risk and accountability between the owner, builder and architect. The IPD team, bound under one contract, often includes the owner, builder and architect, but can also include engineers, large subcontractors and suppliers.

The team establishes a target budget early in the project and outlines clear goals to ensure the project aligns well with the owner’s objectives. With all major parties involved from day one, the system fosters effective communication and decision-making. The architect, builder and sometimes engineer are contractually obligated to work together for the benefit of the project. This level of buy-in means the entire team is focused on adding value to help build a better quality, lower risk and faster project.

The IPD team spends a significant amount of time planning on the front end, so the design and building phases essentially morph into one continuous phase. And because construction can begin before design is completed, we are able to radically improve schedule performance, eliminate costly change orders and therefore reduce the chance of any schedule slips or delays. The collaborative nature of IPD allows us to identify and fix any potential problem areas before they affect the flow of work.

Because of IDP, the market will no longer tolerate mediocrity when it comes to project performance — including cost and schedule overruns, inefficient staffing models and workflow patterns, and facilities that are difficult and expensive to maintain and operate. The Integrated Project Delivery approach ensures that the team maximizes efficiency through all phases, from schematic design through to completion. Ultimately, it guarantees that the builder and designer are focused on adding value, building the project with higher quality, lower risk and at a faster speed.

The facility also includes new technology and electronic systems with linear accelerators, the latest models of MRIs and other state-of-the-art imaging and radiology equipment. This also includes modernized pharmacy, laboratories, dialysis and interventional radiology areas.

According to a statement, Michael Ugwueke, president and CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare expressed, “We are committed to the Midtown Medical District, and we are energized by our quest to put patients first in everything we do — from patient access, to patient experience to patient care, MLH is committed to providing high quality care to every patient who enters our doors.”

Project completion is expected for spring of 2019.

The post Methodist University Hospital Celebrates Topping Out of New Patient Tower appeared first on HCO News.

HUNTINGTON, N.Y. — Northwell Health’s Huntington Hospital Emergency Department (ED) officially earned LEED Gold certification in July with the help of CannonDesign and Hunter Roberts Construction Group — both of which have offices in New York.

Established in 1916, Huntington Hospital is a full-service, 408-bed, nonprofit community hospital serving Huntington Township and surrounding communities. Huntington Hospital has been a member of Northwell Health since 1994 and “shares the system’s vision of being a pre-eminent healthcare delivery system in the tradition of excellence and the embodiment of community values and human dignity,” according to the hospital’s website.

LEED positively evaluated the emergency department across key criteria related to sustainability including materials used, energy use and water efficiency, according to a statement from the architect.

“Achieving LEED Gold certification is a significant achievement for Northwell Health and its Huntington Hospital,” said Rich Kahn, CannonDesign’s New York office practice leader, in a statement. “They established LEED Silver as a goal from the outset of the project and through collaboration and design creativity the ED exceeded that initial target. It’s always rewarding for our firm to partner with organizations who demonstrate such a strong commitment to sustainability, and we’re proud of our work with Northwell Health.”

The key design features and green elements that helped the emergency department achieve LEED Gold certification included extensive water use–reduction strategies, energy-efficient materials and systems, access to natural daylight, a focus on enhanced commissioning, low-emittance materials throughout and construction waste management. Collectively, these sustainable design features have created a healthier environment in which patients can receive care and staff can deliver care. This translates to a more rewarding patient experience for everyone involved.

Huntington Hospital sought to significantly increase its ED treatment volume while improving efficiency and patient outcomes to meet the community’s rapidly growing needs, according to CannonDesign’s statement. Huntington’s existing ED needed to maintain operations during construction; therefore, phasing was carefully planned to expand throughput, minimize disruption to ED operations and ensure no negative impact on the patient experience. One of 21 community-based hospitals in the Northwell Health network, Huntington Hospital now features an expanded ED that has doubled in space and has greatly improved the stream of patients, visitors and staff into and through the unit.

The hospital has also implemented what it calls a “super-track” model in the emergency department to efficiently manage wait times and reduce the length of stays for patients.

“The split-flow, super-track model is a system that filters patients between acute and lower-acuity care areas in order to more effectively manage patient wait times and reduce length of stay. This helps patients receive the type of care they require in a more efficient and effective manner,” said Robert Masters, New York health market leader of CannonDesign.

The new ED is advantageously positioned to connect with the standing hospital on the first-floor level, within close proximity to the radiology department and lab services, and with many other key program adjacencies that will facilitate future development. The ED visually anchors the existing hospital building and creates a new reference point for the campus. In addition to providing a new entrance, it constitutes a link with the original hospital pavilion by flanking the current main entry drop-off. Large corner windows provide natural light and scenic views.

Masters explained that other hospitals can use Huntington’s ED as a model for future healthcare facility expansions.

“The sustainable strategies represented in Huntington Hospital’s emergency department can be seized by other facilities when organizations engage design firms well versed in sustainable design strategy. Each facility is unique and thus requires a unique design solution, but sustainable design is always possible,” concluded Masters.

The post Northwell Health’s Huntington Hospital Emergency Department Achieves LEED Gold appeared first on HCO News.

MIDVALE, Utah – Pointing to the recent devastations of natural disasters including Hurricane Harvey and Irma, Intermountain Healthcare aims to strengthen Utah’s medical infrastructure in acquiring the supplies it needs to face a natural-disaster at its high-tech 327,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Midvale, while also using features that could earn it a LEED Gold certification. For any business, improving your overall supply chain strategy through cheaper costs, more efficient systems, and better fulfillment rates is important but can be life-saving too in the medical industry.

Construction on what is being called the ‘Kem C. Gardner Supply Chain Center’ prepares the facility for earthquakes and severe winter storms, the two most likely natural-disaster scenarios in Utah. The building has been designed to reach high performance in significant areas of human and environmental health, including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

According to Gordon Slade, the supply chain logistics director, the Intermountain Supply Chain Center building was designed and built to a seismic importance factor of 7.5 on the Richter scale. It is equipped with plentiful medical equipment to get the needed materials to medical facilities within 48 to 96 hours without the assistance of disaster-response agencies.

The highly automated facility orders, purchases, stocks and distributes about 5,000 different types of medical supplies and medications with up to a 30-day supply on hand. More than 2.5 million medical items pass through the center each year, according to a statement.

“The large 327,000-square-foot building was built as if it were six different buildings all very close together [creating physical decoupling of foundations, floors and walls] to reduce the amount of damage that would otherwise occur in a moderate to strong earthquake,” said Slade. “The building is equipped with backup generators and fuel to run them for 72 hours or longer. There is also a Command Center room to coordinate with our hospitals, local, state and federal officials during a natural disaster event. The center is equipped with emergency communications radios, satellite phone and dedicated analog phone lines.”

Intermountain Healthcare strives to create a reduction in costs by purchasing supplies directly from the manufacturer, handling the delivery of products and streamlining processes. “Reduced supply costs come through the self-distribution model the building provides and includes a very high fill rate and accuracy rate to assure our caregivers have what they need to treat our patients,” said Slade.

There are innate efficiencies being achieved with these improvements such as large bulk purchase volumes, including standardization of supply, cost, quality, and outcome-based product selection and procurement. The overall improved availability of supplies will mitigate overnight shipment costs, improve supplier engagement and relationships, supply-chain efficiency and supply continuity (assuring needed supply at the greatest time of need, information, forecast and usage transparency.) Lastly, it will provide the ability for suppliers to see demand, warehouse automation and a reduction in labor costs as well as a dedicated transportation fleet, creating highly reliable and efficient deliveries.

“While the supply chain center does provide cost savings, its value is in the support of our clinicians and patients for improved quality and outcomes,” said Slade.

The building also has design features that incorporate LEED Gold certification aspects. While the building has not acquired such certification, it features several LEED design elements such as an LED lighting upgrade throughout the entire building, 55 kW solar panel array on the roof top, electric pool car with charging stations, direct access to public transportation and the light rail located at the corner of the campus, being built on land reclaimed from an EPA superfund cleanup site, an interior designed for daylight harvesting, xeriscape landscaping and recycled materials during construction.

The mainly automated center employs approximately more than 50 workers, according to a statement. Peggy Lee, a communications executive for Intermountain HealthCare’s supply chain operations, explained that the organization also equips distribution employees with the proficiency to maintain all of the center’s services, even if the robotics break down in the event of a disaster.

“We have this beautiful automation, and people [balance] to ensure we would be fully operational [in the event of a natural disaster],” Lee said.

The close proximity of the supply center to both Intermountain Healthcare facilities and traffic arteries will ultimately bolster medical workers in the event of an emergency, and will set a model for other centers to develop highly prepared storage and relief centers for their communities.

The post Intermountain Healthcare Fulfillment Center Aims for Medical Supply Preparation appeared first on HCO News.

MILTON, Ontario — The Milton District Hospital in Milton, Ontario opened doors to its new expansion on Oct. 1. The expansion offers an additional 330,000 square feet of new health care space to a community that continues to expand. The new space is projected to achieve LEED Gold status for its energy efficient-design.

Stantec Architecture, based out of New York, was the planning, design and compliance architect for the expansion. B+H Architects in Toronto, Ontario in collaboration with Baltimore-headquartered RTKL Architects served as the architects of record on the project.

The expansion features large windows and skylights that allow sunlight to pour into hospital hallways and rooms, creating a warm and homey environment for local residents coping with healthcare challenges, in addition to reducing energy costs for light and heating. Lush landscaping and courtyards are found outside many of the windows and the day surgery terrace, with the greenery continuing on the top of the building in the form of a green roof. Portions of the roofs are covered in plants and are visible from patient rooms. Stormwater is absorbed and used by the plants on the roof, as an alternative to a more traditional stormwater management system. Additionally, the green roof creates a cooling effect for the building.

The main lobby in the expansion features two-story windows, an automated donor wall, sitting area and cafeteria-style seating for those grabbing a bite to eat. To the right of the main entrance is the hospital’s new imaging department, including Milton’s first MRI scanner and fracture clinic. The expansion includes an emergency room that is three times the size of the previous and will have a capacity to serve 45,000 patients each year.

Located near the MRI area is a larger maternity department that includes everything from an early labor lounge to a Level 2A special care nursery for babies who need extra support and monitoring after birth. With specially chosen soft colors, large windows letting in plenty of natural light and local nature photos on the walls, the new nursery strives to be a homey place for new moms, babies and their families. Nine new labor, birth, recovery and post-partum (LBRP) rooms have been added to the expansion. In addition, the expansion features an operating suite dedicated to planned and emergency C-section deliveries in the maternity department, along with an associated recovery room.

The post Ontario’s Milton District Hospital Opens Doors to New Expansion appeared first on HCO News.

The four-story 100,000-square-foot medical building broke ground in October 2015 and had a budget of $90 million. Global architecture firm HOK was the architect on the project, with Turner Construction in Los Angeles as the general contractor. The facility will treat more than 50,000 Kaiser Permanente members in the community with 60 clinical providers, and will offer services that include diagnostic imaging, family medicine, health education classes, gynecology, opthamology, optometry and pediatrics.

Some features of the new building that will earn it LEED Gold certification include 35 percent water savings below the LEED baseline, 50 percent reduction in irrigation water use as compared with typical landscape design, a photovoltaic roof canopy and all stormwater will be treated and infiltrated on site. High efficiency condensing domestic water heaters will create savings for the facility as well as ultra low-flow water fixtures, including toilets and sinks.

Ultra-high efficiency rooftop variable volume HVAC units were installed, including variable volume fans, modulating capacity, ultra-high efficiency compressors, airside economizers for free cooling and variable volume zone temperature control for fan energy savings. There will be preferred parking for carpooling and low-emitting vehicles as well as bike storage for all occupants, plus showers for staff.

Recycled content and low-emitting materials were used as much as possible in the construction of the new facility as well as the use of Forest Stewardship Council wood. Additionally, the building was designed to promote interaction with the community, with an outdoor landscape that includes a 2.5-mile walking path, a large grassy area and outdoor exercise equipment, open to the public.

“We are very excited to invest in the health and well-being of this community and bring world-class health care and other health amenities to our members in the Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw neighborhood,” said Georgina Garcia, senior vice president and area manager of Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center in a statement.

The post Kaiser Permanente Opens New Medical Office Building in Los Angeles appeared first on HCO News.