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New Replacement Hospital Strives to Advance Patient Safety and Outcomes
The article below comes from BSALifeStructors.com. The design blog is by:
Southern Illinois has a brand new full-service hospital that will offer advanced care and improved patient safety to the region. The 382,000 square foot Good Samaritan Regional Health Center in Mt. Vernon, Ill., was designed by BSA LifeStructures and features private patient rooms, advanced nurse care stations and convenient outpatient services within walking distance of the hospital.
The 134-bed replacement facility for St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Incorporated advances patient safety and care by adding patient lifts to most patient rooms and equipping them with advanced call systems. As a result of meetings with patients and the hospital staff, the design of the patient room reduces the distance from the bed to the bathroom, where some 90 percent of patient falls occur. The patient’s bed is positioned at a 10 degree angle to provide the caregiver optimal space to treat the patient, while maintaining the distance from the bed to the bathroom. The patient rooms also have dedicated space for family members and feature two flat-screen TV’s, one for the patient and one for the family area.
BSA LifeStructures’ design was focused on improving outcomes and creating a healthcare experience focused on the patient. “The hospital’s design combines a holistic healing approach with evidence-based design,” said Derek Selke, BSA LifeStructures’ Director of Architecture and lead designer on the project. “The configuration of the caregiver stations provides constant interaction with the patient and allows support functions to be located in the core of the nursing unit. These decentralized caregiver stations also reduce noise and promote a collaborative work space that is proximate to each patient room.”
The hospital has put a focus on art and nature to encourage a stress free environment for patients. Notable artwork in the hospital includes a stained glass wall in the hospital’s 100-seat chapel and an entry bell tower that features hand-crafted bells donated by community members. Multiple healing gardens on the hospital’s campus provide patients a view to nature and allow space for reflection. Over a dozen regional artists were commissioned to provide artwork that helps promote a healing environment.
The new replacement hospital, built by McCarthy Building Companies, used prefabrication construction techniques to reduce the project’s cost and construction time. The patient room’s headwalls and restrooms were constructed in an offsite warehouse where those components were assembled to increase productivity and quality. The project team also used Bluebeam® document controls to track design changes in real time. This coordination between design and construction documents minimized reworks and improved the project’s efficiency. In addition, the project was designed to meet Energy Star and Green Guide for Healthcare standards.
– See more at: http://www.bsalifestructures.com/blog/news/new-replacement-hospital-strives-to-advance-patient-safety-and-outcomes#sthash.7xSdwkdl.dpuf
