Medical Construction & Design

SEP-OCT 2017

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/871544

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 46 of 78

T he new 1.2-million- square-foot Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, Illinois has a long- standing tradition of excellence in which to measure up. Formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, or RIC, it's been crowned the "No. 1 Rehabilitation Hospital in America" by U.S. News & World Report since 1991. Upon opening in March 2017, the $550-million, 242-private-bed Shirley Ryan AbilityLab became the fi rst-ever translational research hospital where clinicians, scientists, innovators and technologists work together in the same space 24/7, surrounding patients, discovering new approaches and applying — or translating — research in real time. Capable of treating the most complex conditions, including spinal cord in- jury, stroke and traumatic brain injury, the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab required new engineering concepts, as many of the "rules of thumb" developed through decades of designing high-rise healthcare fa- cilities did not apply to this unique model of research and care. First, patients typically stay signifi cantly longer than in a traditional hospital, and therefore the facility needed to be designed both as a hospital and a second home for patients. The interspersion of research and patient care also presented a unique set of challenges in developing appropriate concepts for the mechanical, electrical, plumbing and technolog y services. Designing Human 42 Medical Construction & Design | SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2017 | MCDM AG.COM

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Medical Construction & Design - SEP-OCT 2017