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.

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MCDM AG.COM | SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2017 | Medical Construction & Design 49 Fixed, removable, retractable and lighted bollards from Calpipe Security Bollards prevent vehicles from crashing into the many vulnerable areas of a medical facility. Our expert engineers will work with you to specify the correct products for your project, and provide error-free production and on-time delivery right to your jobsite. CALPIPEBOLLARDS.COM • (877) 283-8518 PROUDLY MADE IN AMERICA EMS & Ambulance Entry Points Entry Doors Patient Drop Off & Pick Up Areas thinking about it. The whole perspective changes both for the dying person and the family. Serious illness can bring physical changes, symptoms, emotional and spiritual distress. There is a unique opportunity through the built environment to create a place where many of the most nurturing attributes come together to help overcome death's physical, emotional and spiritual challenges. Creating comfort through the built environment The Jack Byrne Center for Palliative and Hospice Care, a new facility located on the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center campus in Lebanon, New Hampshire, was designed for patients who have prioritized comfort and quality of life over cure or length of life. Some of them will pass away there, but others will come to smooth the transition home from the hospital or for relief of symptoms and will return home once stabilized. The underlying philosophy is that life continues, with all of its richness, throughout the full arc of a life, including periods of illness and dying. Scheduled to open soon, the 30,000-square-foot facility incorporates special amenities designed to increase support for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients, their families and the staff . It also includes education spaces for regional providers and caregivers to train in palliative and hospice care. Designing with dignity This thoughtful building and its comprehensive approach to palliative care was purpose-designed to make the experience of serious illness as dignifi ed and comfortable as possible. E4H worked closely with the facility's management, physicians and other interdisciplinary staff , touring several hospice centers and speaking to patients and their families about what makes a diff erence in the physical environment, what works, what doesn't work and what elements are most important when trying to create supportive spaces. All the lessons learned from this research have informed the fi nal design for this facility. The one-story inpatient facility includes 12 private patient rooms with private bathrooms. Each room allows up to three family members to spend the night with their loved one for as long as needed. An outdoor patio/ balcony accessible (even to bedridden patients) from the patient room overlooks the surrounding woodlands. Two nurse stations — one central and one decentralized — provide spaces for the care teams to collaborate, while private offi ces provide quiet places where staff can work without distractions. Other amenities, such as collaboration space for staff , access to massage, exercise and a meditation and refl ection room, help the overstressed staff . The social worker and chaplain support the staff as part of their role on the team. Designing spaces with a fi replace, comfortable furnishings and lots of natural light engages people immediately when entering a facility.

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