Medical Construction & Design (MCD) is the industry's leading source for news and information and reaches all disciplines involved in the healthcare construction and design process.
Issue link: https://mcdmag.epubxp.com/i/509247
Products applications, case studies & best practices Parkland Memorial Hospital, a heavily relied-on county hospital in Dallas, Texas, outgrew its 60-year-old facil- ity. To address the need for additional space and provide more services, a new 2.5-million-square-foot replacement facility, one of the largest hospital con- struction projects in the country, will soon be opening. The hospital has a tremendous impact on its surrounding community. On any given day, staf completes nearly 1,000 radiology exams, performs more than 40 surgeries and delivers approxi- mately 45 babies. Providing this volume of patient services established a need for additional space that the 60-year- old hospital could not provide. As a result, the new $1.3-billion facility will soon open across the street, welcoming patients and staf with an abundance of space. After investing years of research in material selection, the hospital is setting a new standard for the future of healthcare environments. Material selection — particularly fl ooring — was crucial in the creation of this environment. New Parkland Hospital sets standard for future of healthcare Enhancing Care FLOORING SOLUTIONS Looking to best support patient recovery and staf comfort, the hos- pital selected noraplan environcare, installing more than 750,000 square feet of the rubber fl ooring in cor- ridors, labs, pharmacies, staf areas radiology and nurseries. "Rubber is a great fi t for healthcare, as it doesn't require the same kind of maintenance that you have for some of the vinyl products; it is wax-free," says Robyn Roleofs, senior interior designer, HDR + Corgan. "It is also naturally antimicrobial and is quieter than a lot of our other fl oors. Acoustic control and sound transmission are hugely important to help patients heal faster." The hospital conducted its own tests on the fl ooring, measuring its resistance to common chemicals, such as methylene blue, iodine and betadine, and bringing heavy foot traf c through the mock-up spaces. "When we looked at the hospital design overall, we wanted to make sure we were creating the best center for healing," says Gena English, senior program manager for the new Parkland Hospital. "As we considered fl ooring options, we knew we needed something that was going to last — something that was extremely durable, even in a busy healthcare environment. We tested that a lot in mock-up rooms." The test results pointed to one clear winner. "It was really interesting to see how much better nora performed over some of the other fl oors," says Roleofs. "Even looking at it with scrutiny, we couldn't fi nd fault with the way it was maintained and the way it looked over time." Ergonomics also contributed to Parkland's decision to use nora. "From a nursing perspective, fl ooring is important, because our nurses work 12-hour shifts," says Gay Chabot, program director, new Parkland Hospital. "Nurses are almost always walking. While you can have orthotics and real fancy expensive shoes, the softness of the actual fl oor plays a large part. nora is a huge dif erence from what they're used to walking on in the old facility." Additionally, the acoustic dampening of rubber fl ooring will enhance patient healing. "Patients may not realize the materials that are around them, but they experi- ence the space as a whole," says Roleofs. "They may not understand that you don't hear people walking or rolling a bed down the corridor. They may not real- ize that a space is more beautiful because you don't have the dirt or traf c that you might see on another fl oor. But if a fl oor looks good and it performs well for them, they understand that the space is just naturally more beautiful." For more information, visit nora.com/us. Parkland Memorial Hospital Dallas, Texas REQUIREMENTS Durability, maintenance, stain resistance, acoustics, safety, comfort underfoot, sustainability — PRODUCT noraplan environcare — ADVANTAGES Flooring won't need to be replaced for decades No-wax maintenance routine Enhanced stain resistance withstands common chemicals Acoustic benefi ts positively impact patient healing and communication with staff The patient experience at the new Parkland Memorial Hospital will include enhanced acoustics, comfort underfoot, hygienic surfaces and a color palette that contributes to a soothing, healing environment, all supported by nora rubber fl ooring. Nurses who spend long hours on their feet will appreciate the ergonomic benefi ts that nora rubber fl ooring brings to the corridors of the new Parkland Memorial Hospital. MCDM AG.COM | M AY/ J U N E 2015 | Medical Construction & Design 59