A gleaming new 10-story tower in Camden, NJ, stands as a beacon of health care reform that is apolitical, patient-centered and far removed from the purview of Washington. It represents health care reform we can see, feel and experience at the grass-roots level. It’s the noblest of all health care reform because it is measured in outcomes—by doctors, nurses, hospital administrators, family members … and most importantly … by patients themselves.”
So begins this month’s cover story on a new health care project by EwingCole that, as staff writer Carol Tisch notes, offers us a glimpse into the transformative power of design. (Upon reading that first paragraph, I can’t help but think that perhaps we should send a team of designers to Capitol Hill to offer some sanity—and solutions—to the health care debate.) Cooper University Hospital’s new Patient Care Pavilion embodies theories and concepts that are already reshaping the context in which 22nd century care will be delivered, writes Tisch. Steeped in Planetree concepts—a model of care that is patient-centered and holistic in nature—the project also incorporates evidence-based design, sustainability, as well as an infusion of hospitality design that would be fitting for W Hotels.
Interestingly, the progressive Cooper project, completed in 2009, has addressed several key issues in health care settings identified in a new study issued by The Center for Health Design, titled, “Critical Issues in Healthcare Environments.” By surveying more than 600 industry stakeholders, the researchers identified the most critical issues in health care environments, including the following:
- Patient care issues, such as addressing users’ clinical, treatment and recovery problems;
- Patient safety and security issues, such as hospital acquired infection, errors and falls;
- Patient and user satisfaction issues, addressing user-centeredness concerns— both patient and family—such as reducing stress and increasing physical, social and psychological comfort; and
- Operational efficiency issues, focusing on patient care flow and care procedures.
As you will learn upon reading this issue’s cover story, these, and many more challenges can be effectively addressed by clear communication and comprehensive programming. For example, months of study and multiple visits to other hospitals by the design team resulted in innovations such as the placement of clinician hand washing sinks out of patient sight lines, and custom medical headwalls that avoid the feel of a typical hospital. In fact, Saul Jabbawy, EwingCole’s director of design, says he personally worked with the nurses at Cooper for six months to ensure their requirements for the headwalls were met. It’s this level of dedication and attention to detail that make this a great project—and undoubtedly, a place where patients can feel comfortable.
When considering the design of health care environments, it would be remiss to overlook the role that materials chemistry plays in human health, a topic that Carol Derby, director of environmental strategy for Designtex, addresses in this issue’s EnvironDesign Notebook article. Derby explains that since the advent of LEED, “design professionals have furthered the human health aspect of their projects by specifying paints, adhesives, composite wood, carpet and furniture systems that have low emissions of volatile organic compounds,” but notes that it took the draft of LEED for Healthcare for a hard line on chemicals of concern in furniture and medical furnishings to be drawn.
Thankfully steps have been taken in the right direction; but how much longer can we afford to wait until every project’s interior spaces meet stringent requirements for indoor air quality? According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, between 35 and 60 million of the 89 million indoor environment workers have building-related symptoms of eye, nose, and throat irritations or headache and fatigue; and the American Cancer Society estimates that nearly 1.5 million new cancer cases were diagnosed last year in the United States alone. More importantly, who will lead the charge for healthier materials in interiors, thereby improving human health?
According to Derby, “It may well be that health care designers and architects will clear up this safety of materials trail for the rest of us, knowing that what provides comfort for susceptible patient populations cannot fail to do the same for the general population—just as green buildings are not only for the Audubon Society. The win-win might ultimately be green buildings that support human and environmental health as the inseparable systems they are,” she concludes.
I couldn’t agree more.