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MCDM AG.COM | M AY/ J U N E 2017 | Medical Construction & Design 35 Since the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Act, the U.S. Department of Defense has set about transforming its healthcare facilities. Using a new meth- odology laid out in the Defense Health Agency's World-Class Facilities Tool Kit, the new generation of military healthcare facilities "supports a care experience that is patient and family centered, compas- sionate, convenient, equitable, safe, and always of the highest quality." Irwin Army Community Hospital in Fort Riley, Kansas is the latest evolution in this push for world-class healthcare. Using a rigorous approach to Evidence-Based Design, IACH is specifi cally tuned to the recovery needs of wounded warriors and their families through every stage of life. The architecture strikes an ideal balance between openness and security, with cutting-edge antiterrorism protec- tion achieved in tandem with an open and welcoming presence. This balancing act off ered architects Leo A Daly, in joint venture with RLF, the opportunity to challenge preconceptions about how a military hospital looks, inte- grates with the surrounding community and functions to deliver care. A fresh start IACH supports the healthcare needs of the growing Fort Riley community in north- east Kansas. More than 50,000 benefi cia- ries rely on it for care, including 19,000 ac- tive duty service members, 26,000 family members and 5,000 military retirees. After 50 years of service, the legacy IACH building was deteriorating. Its cast- iron pipes were rusting, its mechanical system was 30 years old and its electri- cal system was incapable of supporting today's data-driven healthcare. And that doesn't even touch the patient experience. "Standards of care have changed dra- matically since 1958," says Jon Cranmer, who served as facility manager for the legacy hospital and now runs the new one. "Many of the patient rooms were semi- private with no bathroom. The operating rooms were undersized for modern surgi- cal standards. And, our inpatient behav- ioral health unit had been repurposed, meaning we had to ship patients out to other facilities for that kind of care." Irwin Army Community Hospital deploys new standard in healthcare facilities for the military BY JEFF MONZU, JONATHAN FLIEGE & RICH ONKEN | PHOTOS BY KURT JOHNSON From Left: The project makes use of locally quarried limestone and Endicott brick to comple- ment the post's historic architecture and Kansas fl avor. > The L-shaped building wraps, and overlooks, an expansive healing garden that includes quiet spaces to sit with family, a Zen labyrinth and a series of innovative water features. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★