Amy Eagle

Operational Excellence

Care close to home

Despite their small physical size, microhospitals are fast becoming a big thing in health care design.

Historically, hospital construction has been based on the premise of “build it and they will come,” says David Argueta, president and CEO of CHI St. Luke’s Health — The Woodlands, Lakeside and Springwoods Village hospitals. Inpatient beds have in large part defined a hospital or health system. “When we talk about health care systems and hospitals, part of the statistic is how many beds we have,” Argueta says. 

Care Delivery

Palliative, hospice care design comforts patients, families

Trustee talking points

• Health care facilities' design and amenities meet patients' needs and lead to better care.  
• Palliative and end-of-life care require spaces that feature holistic designs.
• Homelike elements can reduce stress and help patients cope with their symptoms.
• Such designs will continue to gain importance as palliative care spaces expand.

The physical health care environment is an important part of patient treatment, and it is a key factor in the success of palliative and end-of-lif

Nurses, Operational Excellence, Care Delivery, Workforce

Turning to nurses for design

In her book Notes on Nursing, originally published in 1859, Florence Nightingale stressed the importance of a number of environmental factors that are now understood to be critical to patient care, such as cleanliness, noise control, natural light and views of nature. Nurses have long understood that “good design is good medicine,” says Jennie Evans, R.N., senior vice president and associate principal for Dallas-based architecture firm HKS Inc.

Operational Excellence

Innovative Strategies for Pediatric Care Design

• Pediatric facility design must enable excellent medical care while also offering playful features that engage, calm and delight young patients.

• The patients may be small, but spaces must be big enough to accommodate family stays and large medical equipment.

• Technology is a way of life for young people and rooms must allow them to access social media, online games and the like.

• Wayfaring is especially important in pediatric facilities and can be achieved in a number of simple but fun and colorful ways.

Delivery System Transformation, Governance Effectiveness, Nurses, Operational Excellence, Care Delivery, Physician Workforce, Quality & Patient Safety, Strategic Planning, Leveraging Technology, Issues & Trends, Workforce

Hospitals use technology to improve emergency room performance

Hospitals are making greater use of new technologies to improve emergency department throughput. Digital registration kiosks and bedside registration systems streamline the process, allowing patients to be treated more quickly. Electronic patient tracking boards can reduce wait times and improve turnover by helping caregivers to monitor information critical to patient flow.

Operational Excellence

Three Health Systems Redesign Facilities to Align With Their Goals

Snapshot

Renovations and new construction are adding value to patient care by building in operational efficiencies, increasing patient convenience and creating opportunities for clinical collaboration.