Medical Construction & Design

NOV-DEC 2015

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.

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FACILITIES OF TOMORROW E S O F T O M O R R O W ISSUE FOCUS ® www.laticretesupercap.com Snap to see more. Perfectly flat floors, delivered. Faster, safer, greener. SCA-0248-1015 ©2015 LATICRETE SUPERCAP, LLC. All trademarks shown are the intellectual properties of their respective owners. 20,000 gallons of water per day. Other elements include cisterns that retain rainwater for re-use in landscaping and potable wa- ter, as well as the repurposing of existing building materials for new uses and to divert from landfi lls. Sustainability in healthcare has grown beyond the standard defi nition of LEED to match the unique needs of these facilities. Implementing these techniques and features in renovations and new construction will not only have a benefi t to operational costs now, but will provide hos- pitals with an increasing return on investment in the future. Delivering care with communities in mind Convenient access to quality care is a crucial component to population health. In many areas, communities are creat- ing outpatient care facilities as a comprehensive and holistic approach to help address this issue. The Presence Center for Advanced Care at Presence Saint Joseph Hospital in Chicago, Illinois is a prime example. This one-stop destina- tion of ers a convenient way for residents to stay up-to-date on personal preventive health and wellness. In addition, the outpa- tient center's location on the campus of the Presence Saint Joseph Hospital allows for an enhanced level of coordinated care that could reduce costs by as much as 35 percent. The infl ux of patients into the main hospital is lessened, reducing wait times and overcrowding. This proactive approach to healthcare also helps reduce the number of patients admit- ted to the main hospital for reactive health complications. Establishing outpatient cen- ters not only improves visibility for the hospital, but also allows for the expansion of service lines and better levels of care. Incorporating research into design Accessibility is just as impor- tant to hospital staf as it is for patients, and the most sought- after clinicians and physicians often seek out facilities with the best access to resources. In response, many healthcare fa- cilities are placing a new focus on research with an emphasis on ties to academic institutions. At UTSW, in-house re- search is an essential part of the design's success, with more than 35,000 square feet of space dedicated to research and learning. Clinical research is also incorporated into every patient care fl oor, providing easy access to cutting-edge research projects, state-of-the- art therapies and advanced treatment options. In addition, conference rooms with interac- tive whiteboard technology and videoconferencing capabilities enable care teams to discuss cases with other experts any- where in the world. With time, the importance of in-house research initiatives will continue to increase. More than just accessibility, leading healthcare facilities will incor- porate these components into the design from the beginning of a project or discover ways to implement research capabilities into existing facilities. With the increasing com- plexity of the healthcare land- scape, facilities of the future will focus on improving opera- tions and expanding levels of care with sustainability, data and technology helping to drive these ef orts. With over 25 years of industry experi- ence, Don DeBord, AIA, serves as a senior vice president with RTKL's healthcare practice group.

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