PHILADELPHIA—CosciaMoos Architecture and BBLM Architects announced on June 12 they have joined forces, combining their complementary strengths in an effort to offer unparalleled healthcare design solutions.

This merger mixes diverse expertise with unrivaled technical prowess. CosciaMoos’ strengths in outpatient healthcare, commercial, science, and interior design perfectly complement BBLM’s 50-year legacy of specialized healthcare architecture. Together, the merged firm is well-positioned to provide integrated solutions tailored to each client’s unique needs and take on projects of any scale or complexity.

“We’ve long admired BBLM’s specialized healthcare expertise and are thrilled to welcome them into the CosciaMoos family,” said David Moos, Principal at CosciaMoos. “Uniting our design vision with their technical precision in complex medical facilities like ORs and imaging suites – it just makes sense.”

For BBLM’s clients, it’s the best of both worlds. They’ll still benefit from the firm’s signature client-centric approach and the familiar faces they trust, now bolstered by CosciaMoos’ expanded capabilities. BBLM principals Brandon Sargent and Laura Strychalski will continue their dedicated healthcare work.

“Joining forces with CosciaMoos allows us to amplify our impact while staying true to our roots,” noted Brandon Sargent, Principal at BBLM Architects. “It’s about harnessing our combined strengths to deliver next-level healthcare design with a personal touch.”

The merger reportedly is not about size, but synergy. Both firms are said to be committed to a smooth transition, ensuring clients continue to receive the responsive, personalized service they expect. Integration will be carefully managed to preserve each firm’s unique strengths while leveraging their combined resources to offer a broader spectrum of innovative design solutions.

The combined firm will operate under the CosciaMoos Architecture name. Clients should see a an easy transition, with familiar personnel and processes remaining in place for ongoing engagements.

The post CosciaMoos Architecture Merges with BBLM Architects appeared first on HCO News.

PHILADELPHIA—FCA, this year commemorating its 70th anniversary, is one of the oldest established design firms in continuous operation in Philadelphia. Originally a regional practice, FCA has grown over the past seven decades into a nationally recognized design firm, spearheading work on thousands of projects for clients across the United States and internationally.

Initially conceived with a focus on institutional and lab design, the firm has become a sought-after practice with an established reputation across such sectors as healthcare, medical equipment planning, workplace, higher education and design sectors. The milestone reflects the company’s steadfast dedication to embracing adaptability and collaboration as core principles in shaping the built environment.

Dovetailing with FCA’s strategic expansion into new markets, including the establishment of offices in New York City in 2007 and Orlando in 2019, the firm rebranded in 2022, refining its existing processes and identity while honoring the initials of the firm’s founders. Working diligently to expand its expertise, FCA plans to continue to strengthen and diversify its portfolio, with an existing suite of strong relationships forming the basis to pursue thoughtful growth and acquisition strategies over the next several years.

In 2023, FCA unveiled its renovated Philadelphia headquarters. The reimagined Philadelphia workplace holistically embodies the firm’s strategy in practice, serving as a springboard for future workplaces across the country while celebrating FCA’s established culture.

Further underscoring their emphasis on future-forward design thinking and solutions for the built environment, the team brought on a Sustainability Director and signed AIA’s 2030 Agreement, pledging to achieve net zero emissions by 2030.

Looking ahead to the 75th and 100th anniversaries, this milestone stands as a testament to the organization’s enduring influence within the architecture and design industry. Moving forward, FCA has stated it will aim to keep pushing the boundaries of design, while upholding its guiding principles of People, Place, Planet, Process, and Prosperity.

The post FCA Marks 70 Years of Design Innovation appeared first on HCO News.

DENVER—Global integrated design firm Stantec has expanded its health sector presence in Denver with the addition of five strategic hires. A commitment to supporting the area’s evolving health landscape, this investment marks an exciting time in Stantec’s health sector growth, building upon an already robust architecture and engineering practice in the Rocky Mountain Region.

“I am elated to support these talented experts. Together, they have tremendous power to innovate in the region for healthcare systems with the full support of our global practice as we advance our vision – to improve health worldwide through the power of design,” said Brenda Bush-Moline, Stantec’s global health sector leader. “We are meeting the moment in this rapidly growing Denver community and surrounding Rocky Mountain region with focused commitment and a formidable team.”

The burgeoning team will be led by seasoned health planner and American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA) board certified architect, Alisa Rice, who is deeply committed to clients in the region and the communities they care for. Serving clients across the region and nationally for more than two decades, her portfolio includes transformative projects for Children’s Hospital Colorado, Intermountain Health, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“We’ve put together an exemplary team that is eager to be continually learning and be challenged by helping clients and doing the work they are passionate about,” said Rice. “We are looking forward to tackling projects from large and complex to smaller community-based clinics in the region and see a bright future ahead.”

Joining Rice as senior medical planner is Robyn Linstrom, a vibrant industry leader who has been committed to health design services and advancing design for behavioral health in the region for more than two decades. Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah currently have some of the highest prevalence of mental illness and lowest rates of access to care (Mental Health America). Linstrom was hand-picked to help clients address this need and expand mental health services across the region. Her notable behavioral health projects include Mind Springs Health West Springs Hospital, Denver Solution Center, and UNMH Behavioral Health Crisis Center.

Rounding out the team is senior design coordinator, Thomas Giles; interior design coordinator, Vega Vashtiary; and healthcare design coordinator, Watchara Umboontham. Collectively they bring new energy, an empathetic approach, significant technical skills, and a deep familiarity with the unique complexities of delivering healthcare projects in the region, including those faced by rural and remote communities. The team regularly volunteers in the community and are engaged with several industry organizations such as the Association of Medical Facility Professionals board and Women in Healthcare as members and on the mentoring committee.

The post Stantec Grows Healthcare Sector Presence in Denver appeared first on HCO News.

Everyone is hearing the word “Metaverse” and for most, including myself, we have a very limited knowledge of what it fully means or could be, and that’s mostly by design. Just as soon as this piece is completed, many more angles and applications changing this innovative world will have come to life.

So, what is the metaverse? In short, many believe it will become the next generation of the Internet, connecting people, places, technology, experiences, in an immersive and interactive world. It’s the confluence of artificial intelligence and technology to create virtual spaces away from physical spaces. For those who know the world of Star Trek, it is the holodeck of experiences created in the cloud. Venture capital investment in this space has reached a staggering $120 billion since 2020, and technology companies are rapidly embracing its potential to change our everyday lives. If investment and interest continues at this pace, some of the smartest people on the planet will be hard at work. Alongside this growing metaverse space is artificial intelligence which will allow vast quantities of data to be analyzed and outcomes or treatment paradigms to be recommended.

So how will the metaverse impact the design and future of healthcare spaces? As we know, much of the metaverse technology comes from the gaming world, and the rapid enhancements that have allowed us amazing visualization of the spaces we design. We can create photorealistic designs and have the ability to walk-through these spaces with our clients and their occupants before they are even built. However, the real impact of the metaverse will be the next generation of interaction – the ability to feel textures, temperatures, measure the occupants’ physical reactions to an environment, and then store this data in a measurable, relatable, interactive learning environment. As of this writing, you can play 18 holes of photorealistic golf at Pebble Beach using VR headsets, but imagine if you could experience the smells around you, the sun on your face, the feel of the golf shot, and learn to play golf better. That could be in our future.

As healthcare designers, we create and build from three-dimensional models in Revit. A current application, or crossover from modeling to metaverse, is called “Twinning.” For example, we can virtually design and physically build a cancer center in one location and create a twin model anywhere else in the world. This twin model can be used as a live interactive learning lab, where medical procedures can be done and learned from. In basic terms, if it’s learned that casework is not needed in a space or that it is more useful in another location, it can be moved or removed.

As we know, caregivers vary greatly in their style and human interaction. If we could create a platform that studies and analyzes this interaction to generate the optimal outcome for both the caregiver and the patient, that would be game changing. Another rapidly changing field in healthcare is imaging––we now have hybrid operating rooms with robotics. If the metaverse allowed us to create accurate three-dimensional models of every patient, with every organ and tissue in place, think of the impact on complex surgery planning. It could take some of the potential treatment complications for unknown conditions out of play. We currently have some very high-tech equipment for the 3D visualization of spaces and this includes the human body, but the metaverse could be the connecting link to better patient outcomes.

So, what are the constraints in imagining this future for healthcare design? The answer itself may lie in our ability to create the technology and computing power. We have all heard that the computing power used for the NASA Apollo moon missions is a microgram of the computing power we now hold in our smartphones. Technology and computing power has exponentially grown and compounded in the last 30 years, and this growth will continue exponentially, as we create the next versions of microchips. It’s not only computing power, but our ever-expanding ability to store and intelligently access and harness this data in the cloud. This is one of the reasons we are building so many data centers.

Many of us ask how this will influence the design of healthcare spaces today, and what we should be considering within our projects to help make them metaverse ready. The common theme appears to be the use of technology and the ability and capacity to gather, store and use data. Hospitals and health systems should take every opportunity to build great networks of data gathering and storage capacity for this coming wave of data. Technology infrastructure will become extremely important within the health setting, so build it to the best of the available technology we currently have.

We will also need enhanced education, and a wave of trained staff that will interact with this data and make it useful and educational. Unfortunately, 2022 – 2023 has seen this technology workforce cut back, but I believe this will be a temporary rebalancing for market conditions. Hospitals are creating learning labs, simulation centers, and suites within the hospitals geared towards educating patients and staff on phone applications and interactive apps. This continued education helps staff assist the older, less technologically inclined patients navigate and embrace the newer technology, thereby increasing their caregivers’ access to them.

The patient room of the future, as we envision them today, contains vast quantities of interactive, data-generating technology. As the metaverse grows, this ability to interact even further with the patient will grow. The room will learn from the patient, and the caregivers will have even more tools to diagnose and treat patients. This is also true outside of the hospital setting, where interactive wearable technology has seen substantial growth over the last few years. We will also be able to re-create a patient’s own home bedroom, complete with furnishings, in a virtual or metaverse world, within a hospital setting, allowing a greater sense of comfort for the patient.

As healthcare designers and architects, we need to embrace this innovation and technology as it drives our future interaction with the world around us, and the metaverse world could be a large part of it.

Aran McCarthy, AIA, NCARB, is President of FCA.

The post The Metaverse and Healthcare Design appeared first on HCO News.

There have been recent studies and articles comparing productivity changes in the architecture-engineering-construction (AEC) industry versus other fields. The general conclusions are that every industry has seen an increase in efficiency and productivity except for AEC.  Many experts agree the silos that exist between architects, contractors and subcontractors are the primary cause.

Exacerbating the situation is the shortage of skilled labor and craftsmen. Between 2008 and 2012, an estimated two million jobs were eliminated from the construction industry.  At least 50 percent of that workforce did not return, resulting in a shortage of labor and creating an environment of uncertainty and unpredictability.

Industry experts believe the healthcare sector suffered most because healthcare facilities are more complex than other building types and require a higher level of skill in those positions.

To overcome these obstacles, healthcare architects, contractors and owners are shifting their paradigm and increasingly moving towards prefabricated modular buildings. The industry’s willingness to do this is changing how buildings are delivered in seven specific ways.

EARLY TEAM SELECTION

To efficiently deliver prefabrication, input from architects, contractors and subcontractors is needed earlier in the process. For this to happen, the traditional method of hiring an architect first, then a contractor, and finally subcontractors does not work. The entire team needs to be at the table when concepts are in development. Collaboration like this is a foreign concept to many owners, and not all will be comfortable with this approach.

THE ELIMINATION OF SILOS

For prefabrication to be successful, architects, contractors, subcontractors and owners must collaborate and engage more frequently with each other than they have in the past.  The need for early information forces teams and owners to work together to solve problems that were traditionally “thrown over the fence” from one group to the other. You must have co-location of the consultants and the use of a “Big Room” to help with team communication and alignment.

EARLY DECISION MAKING

Prefabrication expedites the decision-making process. Compared to traditionally built process, prefabricated elements like patient room configurations, materials and finishes are designed and determined earlier in the process to ensure installation is on schedule. Early decision making causes an increase in the use of virtual reality and physical mockups, allowing owners and architects to have more confidence in their decisions and helps contractors establish budgets sooner.

BETTER BUILDING INFORMATION MODELS

Prefabrication requires architects and consultants to maintain better Building Information Models (BIM) because subcontractor trades need a model to fabricate components.  As a result, teams must become invested in the creation of models. Additionally, the increased complexity of modeling mandates the use of faster computers and high bandwidth communication platforms.

MODULAR DESIGNS AND STANDARDIZATION

Prefabrication is most efficient when components are standardized around modular configurations.  Pragmatic departmental plans focused on operational efficiency will become the standard, helping lessen the complexity of the Building Information Model and eliminating costly customization.  Other advantages of standardization are quality control, reductions in waste and cost control.

INDUSTRY INTEGRATION

Because consultants and trades collaborate early to deliver prefabricated projects, we will see more consolidation in the form of mergers and acquisitions of industry partners.  This is already happening with design and construction firms, but soon more firms will have MEP consultants, equipment planners and major trade partners. This integration will allow the industry to have a better appreciation of what it takes to successfully deliver a healthcare project, and help architects to become the master builders they once were.

A NEW CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE

As the industry moves toward prefabrication, new companies like BLOX, Pivotek, and Factory Blue, are being hired to fabricate components for healthcare projects. These companies are changing the construction landscape and perceptions of the typical worker. For example, they are bringing in new pools of talent who had no prior interest in construction. Unlike traditional construction, prefabrication occurs in the same place every day during traditional office hours. Additionally, these new companies can help reestablish vocational training and create a new workforce of craftsmen.

Prefabrication improves efficiency because it helps accelerate schedules and wastes less material. Repetitive processes lead to consistency and fewer mistakes, resulting in better, more consistent quality. If you are a decision maker in a hospital or leading a healthcare construction job, consider how the benefits of prefabrication can improve your next project.

Mark D. Johnson serves as director of healthcare at Beck Group.

The post How Prefabrication is Changing Healthcare Construction and Design appeared first on HCO News.

Just as healthcare delivery is evolving through new patient-provider approaches and transformative technology, so is the design of healthcare facilities rapidly advancing by the use of Lean process improvement methods. Lean in healthcare has focused on continuous, incremental improvement of existing processes that were primarily concerned with the operational aspects of the delivery of care. Recently, this focus on Lean has expanded to the design of clinical space so the architecture supports simplified operational models with the goal of maximizing patient satisfaction while minimizing waste and using fewer resources. Today, healthcare designers are employing the more advanced Lean 3P (Production Preparation Process) approach to designing patient-centered spaces.

Hospitals are complex facilities with intricate workflows and dedicated patient care that greatly benefit from operational efficiencies provided by Lean process improvement. For example, the Lean 3P approach was used in designing a cancer center to reduce waiting times and improve patient flow. The process significantly decreased the times a patient had to move from one space to another. For patients receiving both radiation and medical oncology on their first day of treatment, patient room moves were reduced from 21 to 6.

A recent project for a metro-Boston community hospital utilized Lean 3P planning for the renovation and expansion of the hospital’s central sterile processing (CSP) suite. The project required a multi-phased approach to keep the suite operational during construction. The Lean 3P process was introduced to minimize construction phases and provide a deeper understanding of the project’s priorities and functionality to identify critical adjacencies and flow for the CSP suite, accommodate new clinical programs for robotic surgery, and expand the hospital’s surgical capacity.

The planning process begins by going to ‘Gemba’ (where the work is performed) to observe and question the current state of how materials, patients and clinicians flow through a clinical department. The CSP suite was suffering from a lack of flow of surgical supplies from the decontamination process through the utensil washers, creating a backlog of case carts and requiring additional staff time to process sterile supplies for the next day. The project team observed the specific tasks and operations of the entire CSP cycle from the operating rooms through decontamination, prep and pack, sterile supply, and then back up to the surgery department. The observations were then reviewed step-by-step with the end users to find opportunities to maximize flow and eliminate steps. This process forms the ideal or future state goal from the user group.

The Lean 3P process allowed the team to identify the root cause of workflow obstruction through the CSP department, which was originally believed to be through-put capacity of the washers but was identified as duplicative tasks performed during decontamination and prep and pack. By eliminating the cataloguing step from the decontamination process, the processing time for soiled items could be reduced, thereby increasing valuable through-put.

The information derived from the existing state and the proposed ideal forms the basis mock-up portion of the 3P Planning Event. The complexities of renovating a CSP department in place required the team to understand the most efficient layout of the decontamination sink area to simplify phasing. The team created three mock-ups of the sinks and ran simulations through each option to study cross traffic, areas for carts, and required sorting space. The mock-ups provided a broader group of people to be involved in the design process, actively moving around boxes to replicate equipment in order to customize the space to meet their needs. Ultimately, this led to decisions in concept planning that held true throughout the remainder of the planning and design process.

The use of Lean 3P principles can help to improve end users’ understanding of the planning process and enable them to make informed decisions for their future space. The process can illustrate a complex workflow with many variables, identify obstructions, challenge original assumptions, and minimize duplication efforts. Using Lean 3P for healthcare can accelerate process design improvements and improve decision-making created in the early design phases of a project.

About the authors

Jason Costello, AIA, EDAC, LEED AP, is an associate principal and partner, and John Fowler, AIA, EDAC, LEED AP, is an associate principal in the Health+Science studio at Margulies Perruzzi Architects (MPA). As one of New England’s top architectural and interior design firms, MPA designs Workplace, Health+Science, and Real Estate projects that inspire and nurture human endeavor. More information may be found at www.mp-architects.com.

The post Using Lean 3P to Implement Operational Change in Healthcare Settings appeared first on HCO News.

MINNEAPOLIS — Designing for the patient experience in hospitals is a frequent topic of discussion in the industry, but what about designing for community clinics?

Minneapolis-based Associate Vice President and Senior Medical Planner at HGA, Nancy Doyle, has 25 years of experience directing programming and medical planning for a range of healthcare projects, from national and international academic medical centers to community clinics. She holds expertise in directing programming, medical planning, Lean design, Evidence-Based Design and sustainable strategies. She also works with healthcare systems, physician groups and other stakeholders to translate health system goals into planning strategies that improve operational effectiveness, patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. HC+O spoke with Doyle to discuss the variances, challenges and strategies in designing for the patient experience in community clinics.

Q: What are the specific patient-centric design elements and strategies used in community clinics? How do they help improve the patient experience?

Doyle: Community Clinics are generally a highly visible and integral part of that locale. It’s a symbol of the well-being of the community and often a gathering point in the neighborhood. Anything we can do as designers to gather input from the neighborhood, family and patient advocate groups helps to strengthen the bond between the healthcare facility and the community. Simple gestures such as purposefully incorporating a hitching post in an Amish community and signage in multiple languages will go a long way in fostering community and improved patient experience.

Q: How does designing for patient experience in community clinics differ from larger hospitals?

Doyle: We find that many of these clinics want to use their facilities for community activities after-hours. We’ve seen yoga classes, adult education, farmers markets, community meetings and cooking classes in the café. One clinic we designed will be used as a food shelf for the local community. It’s important to understand the needs of the community this facility serves. For example, in Long Prairie, Minn.,, we participated in a community engagement night about the facility. After a short presentation of the project, the mock-up rooms were open to the public. Armed with post-it notes and pens, community members engaged with healthcare staff and designers in the rooms, and later left comments regarding the room design. The team addressed way-finding and privacy concerns in the design, using large graphics of local photography for wayfinding and an on-stage/off-stage clinic design for privacy.

Q: What are the challenges in designing for the patient experience in community clinics?

Doyle: Smaller clinics have a strong fiscal responsibility to the community. Community members want to know that their tax and donor dollars are being used responsibly. Balancing the budget and patient experience is often a challenge in smaller clinics. For this reason, developing a right-sized program at the beginning of the project is critical. Any resources saved by not over-building can go toward patient amenities. During our 2P Lean events, we pull clinic volumes from patient records to analyze room utilization by session and provider. We collect data by the hour on waiting room use. When possible, we shadow clinicians to understand the movement and collaboration within the clinic. We have the medical staff record patient time in the exam room and average wait times. With this information, and understanding the desired exam room utilization, we brainstorm with clinicians and staff strategies to improve utilization and reduce the overall building area. Strategies we have used include leveling the weekly load, reducing room-to-provider ratio, flexing exam rooms between specialties and reducing the tact time in clinic.

Another challenge we face is the struggle to ensure privacy in an arena where everyone knows each other. In a larger clinic setting, patients are anonymous as they travel through the system. They don’t worry about bumping into their neighbors at the check-out desk. It’s a different story in a community clinic. Smaller groupings in waiting areas and the opportunity to choose where to sit are critical. The ability to make a choice gives the patient control over their situation: choosing whether to watch television, quietly read or work on their laptop gives the patients a sense that this visit is about them. Smaller waiting areas can also mitigate noise with sound-absorbing materials.

Q: What technological or electronic systems are integrated into community clinics and how are they geared toward the patient experience?

Doyle: Some of the new technologies we are seeing such as tracking patients through the clinic process with RFID badges, or checking them in on a kiosk, help maintain patient privacy and move a patient through the system quickly. With the help of an RFID locator, medical assistants can find patients in a sub-divided waiting room without announcing their name to the entire room. There is a strong push toward greater pre-registration and the use of kiosks in both small and large clinics, making the check-in process much simpler and quicker with less information being exchanged at the desk.

Presently, self-rooming is a concept we are seeing more often with our clients on the coasts than in the Midwest, but even those who don’t choose to implement self-rooming initially want to ensure the design will allow it in the future. The next generation expects the convenience of swiping their health card, getting a visit itinerary and moving through the process on their own.

Q: What sustainable strategies are implemented when designing for community clinics and how are they beneficial?

Doyle: Smaller clinics are sometimes subject to higher fluctuations in daily patient volumes and vulnerable to provider changes. If the one OB provider leaves, it may mean the entire program has been eliminated. Clinic rooms need to be flexible and adaptable to remain viable. That means shared workspaces, universal exam rooms and clinic modules that can flex from one specialty to another throughout the day or week. It is often more of a mindset change for the healthcare staff than a physical solution. Facilities can’t afford to dedicate exam room to a provider that may not be in clinic a full 10 sessions. At Unity Point Wellness Center, the center work core supports 12 exam rooms that can be used by various medical and mid-level providers throughout the day and week.

The post Designing for the Patient Experience in Community Clinics appeared first on HCO News.

Senior Principal and Global Healthcare Leader, Phil LiBassi, FAIA, FACHA for global integrated design firm DLR Group, believes in providing comprehensive, innovative solutions that respond to the client’s ethos and needs. While leveraging his significant healthcare design experience, he is committed to offering partnership and consultation, including visioning, process mapping, programming, planning, design, budgeting and technical expertise.

In a recent two-part article he wrote for DLR Group’s website, LiBassi explained designing for the patient experience as well as designing for hospitals into the future. Healthcare Construction + Operations News spoke with him to continue the conversation.

 Q: How does the idea of patient-centered design differ from hospital design from just 10 years ago?

 LiBassi: The idea of patient-centered design has been the focus of our practice for the past 27 years. Over the last decade, however, the advent of the smartphone and an added focus on value-based design has meant greater use of technology within healthcare facilities. As with any change, there are plusses and minuses, but one of the greatest advantages of this development is that it enables us to envision ways we can leverage new technologies to support and improve patient-centered design.

Q: Why has this become such an important focus in just the past 10 years?

 LiBassi: On the plus side, technology allows for greater access to healthcare in the realm of information, self-monitoring and treatment (e.g., e-clinics). Healthcare providers have greater access to data and information, which increases the support for diagnoses and treatments. Patients have convenient access to care and medical information, allowing them greater control over lifestyle management and the ability to engage in “well management” as opposed to “sick care.” Access to information, both inside and outside the hospital, can support shorter lengths of stay and improved outcomes. Acute care patients and caregivers — who often experience challenging health decisions — are armed with the important information necessary to make these health decisions.

Q: Can you provide examples of how you, as a designer, use empathy to influence design? How exactly do you “put yourself in the patient’s shoes”?

 LiBassi: On a personal level, nothing tops immersion. Whether we’re shadowing physicians, surgeons or nurses as they work, or spending time with family members or loved ones as part of a caregiver team, we can only understand from the hands-on experience. In my case, my passion for healthcare design began over 30 years ago following my role as a caregiver for my nephew. The experience left me with a desire to improve what I viewed as obstacles to a positive patient experience through enhanced design. I’m glad I had the opportunity to experience that —  it changed my life and how I approach my practice of architecture.

Q: What are some of the key factors when considering “simplicity” in a patient-focused hospital design?

 LiBassi: Less is more: Eliminate clutter and organize the necessities. Create simple, intuitive paths of travel, and create an excellent workplace for the medical and support staff.

 Q: Can you speak to some of the unique challenges in healthcare design and expand upon how you work to overcome those challenges?

 LiBassi: Healthcare design is technically complex at every level — design, regulatory, physical. The challenge is to not lose sight of design while still focusing on solutions to technical challenges. The balance of the answer would require a book.

Q: As patient-centered design becomes more common, what other trends do you see on the horizon for healthcare design?

 LiBassi: I would like to think patient-centered design is common, and as I look at the landscape of healthcare design, I see a great many firms doing excellent work. The industry has come a long way. I’m always cautious to suggest trends, but I can foresee an increased focus of balancing value and design as the cost of healthcare continues to climb. Perhaps the most important trend should have nothing to do with the hospital, but more a focus on wellness as an attitude and a lifestyle.

The post Q&A: Healthcare Architect Talks Designing for Patient Experience appeared first on HCO News.

LOS ANGELES — Innovative and contemporary hospital designs have succeeded to not only guarantee patient satisfaction, but to also reduce costs and improve patient outcomes. Research has shown that hospitals featuring new designs and amenities increase patient satisfaction significantly. Even one study, conducted by Professor Dana Goldman and Associate Professor (Research) John A. Romley at the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at the University of Southern California, showed that amenities are a larger factor in driving traffic to hospitals than clinical quality. As a result, amenity-filled hospitals with modern design features are attracting more patients, which benefits the hospital’s top line.

Interior Design has placed Perkins+Will the No. 2 firm on its annual Top 100 Giants list—moving themselves up one spot from the 2016 rankings, and two spots from the 2015 rankings. The recognition is based on overall interior design revenues across all project types. The firm holds its No. 1 position for healthcare interior design on the Top 10 Giants by Sector rankings. It also took the No. 2 ranking for “Most Admired Firm”—up one spot from 2016, according to a statement. 

Jennifer Riddle Curley, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, project associate and Stephanie Domek, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C, interior project designer of Perkins+Will spoke with HC+O news to discuss efficient design strategies and the benefits of quality interior design in healthcare facilities. 

Q: What are the biggest trends you’ve seen affecting hospital interior design?  

Domek: Off the top of my head, three trends:

A Consumer Experience.  Creating a more amenity and hospitality rich program to improve the patient and their family’s experience within the healthcare environment.

Designing for the Evolving Workplace.  Improving the quality and functional space for multidisciplinary caregiver teams to create successful teaming performance and benefits for staff retention.

Technology.  The rate of advancement and adoption of technologies, leveraging technology to engage better with patients and staff collaboration, as well as planning for the unknown. 

Q: How have you incorporated these techniques into designs you’ve worked on recently? 

Domek: Design strategies to address these trends include visioning sessions early in the process to identify the community qualities the hospital wants to emphasize and how the hospital wants the patient experience to feel.  Additionally, a deeper dive into current workplace strategies are now being regularly discussed to help the facility understand the variety of workspace typologies available for today’s teams.  I recently had a conversation that involved acknowledging that a laptop does not need to sit on a desk all day.  Healthcare organizations are at different places on the journey to redesigning new ways of how they do work and how interior design can improve their workflow goals.  

Q: How do these design trends affect the patient/user experience? 

Domek: As hospitals understand the patient as a consumer concept, the patient experience is directly affected in a positive way by coming to expect a higher level of service, easier forms of communication, and spaces designed with improved comfort, acoustics, lighting, and overall quality. Indirectly, patient experience is affected by progressive workplace strategies employed in facilities that aid team-based collaboration and allows staff to choose where they can do their best work. (ie. open touchdown, a quiet enclave, a social setting, or respite room.)

Curley: By improving the caregiver experience, it creates an environment where caregivers can concentrate on the job. Additionally, the improvements in the workplace environment can positively impact a facilities ability to recruit and retain talent.

Q:  How are these trends in line with general interior design trends across all building types? 

Domek: With the arrival of the Well Building Institute and Fitwell, healthy human-centered design aligns with evidence-based design in healthcare by bringing important features like daylighting, clean air, and comfort measures to the workplace.  The concept of wellness has permeated all building types. 

Q: How will interior design continue to advance healthcare today and into the future? 

Interior design directly affects the quality of the healthcare environment and can influence the way patients, families, and staff feel and experience the physical space.  The more we, as designers, can find synergies between current practices in adjacent markets like corporate commercial, education, and hospitality, the more healthcare design can create connections within the community as a destination for wellness. 

Q: What kind of feedback have you received from healthcare professionals on specific design techniques that interact well with their practice?  

Curley: Our academic medical center clients are requesting that we create true partnerships in the design process with their multi-disciplinary teams. We have been engaging with our client teams to execute week long 3P Kaizen events in lieu of the traditional hour-long user meetings that typically occur on a periodic basis. In the 3P Kaizen event, a diverse set of key stakeholders are brought together for an intense collaboration with the project team. These sessions require a substantial amount preparation to be successful, but the results are a broad consensus built around a design solution within a matter of days.

The post Perkins+Will Explains the Benefits of Interior Design in the Medical World appeared first on HCO News.