A New Focus for Healthcare Facilities

3A NEW FOCUS FOR HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

by Shannon Mastro, AIA & Jeff Pawlowski, AIA

The COVID-19 Pandemic is changing Healthcare as we know it. It was business as usual until a global health crisis developed at what seemed like overnight. This caused a shift in healthcare operations, facility needs, and patients’ restrictions, so facilities would be prepared to handle surge capacities at the same time as caring for the daily patient population. Being able to provide care was critical and doing so in a manner that was safe for all patients and staff at the same time. Construction halted immediately in order to make way for temporary facilities and “COVID Wards” within the hospital. Architects shifted focus on emergency projects to get the hospitals ready for this new critical population that was starting to build. At the same time, maintaining all patient needs for the institutions, from outpatient care to Intensive care and everything in between. A year later, and a decreasing number of hospitalizations for the first time in months, Architects and designers are still helping healthcare facilities shift in how their facilities are designed. Strategies including infection prevention, additional storage and distribution of PPE, flexibility of room capacity for overflow situations, increased isolation requirements, a shift in waiting and public space design, and increased telemedicine are just a few of the methods being employed throughout designs. The temporary facilities that were established overnight can finally be considered as to whether they remain a permanent solution or be removed to go back to pre-pandemic configurations. In some cases, they would need to still create small changes to make permanent features. Permanent solutions for PPE storage, which has expanded exponentially is the last year need to be considered at the source of distribution so there aren’t large quantities of boxes stacked in the lobby and large scale storage as part of material management department. Phrases like “Social Distancing” seem to be here to stay. Installation of barriers at formerly open reception areas are shifting the hospitality model of yesterday back to a more institutional model of the future. Temperature checks are a new norm that looks like it’s going to stick around for a while. How individuals handle germs are back in the forefront on design considerations. All these items drive the designer’s conversation when planning for renovations to any medical facility, whether outpatient or inpatient. One of the major features appearing in medical design is a new use of technology that was already available, the pandemic is causing these to be rolled out and embraced by patients and staff alike. Telemedicine, for one, is now a normal attribute of healthcare treatment planning. Keeping the patients at home and triaging over the Internet keeps the germs at home with

them. Facilities need to consider spaces ability to provide this function. From lighting quality to color of the space, to what is on the walls are all important aspects in creating a successful telemedicine visit with your physician. The entrance and waiting room of facilities is back at the forefront of consideration for efficient and safe design. Architects now need to consider the entry sequence of patients at all facilities. When entering, temporary stations have been established to check temperatures, provide new clean masks, and appointment confirmation, all before reaching the reception desk to formally sign in. While some facilities feel they need to add space to accommodate “social distancing” requirements, others are using this as an opportunity to get efficient. Technology and checking-in virtually while still in your car is becoming widespread. The use of the car as waiting room, is allowing more space to be allocated to diagnostic and treatment space while still providing a safe atmosphere for all. Flexibility of space is also very important. Designing spaces to accommodate sick patients and well patients interchangeably is important. In outpatient care, exam rooms being able to become isolation rooms is important. Installing switches and air velocity readouts to take the space form neutral pressure to negative pressure can help spread the germs. Where these are located is also important. Having them close to the entrance in case a patient is presenting symptoms, allows them to proceed directly into one of these rooms without stopping will make others feel safer. Thinking creatively to maximize space restrictions/ requirements with the new normal has helped shaped the conversation with healthcare clients. Making sure that proper planning around the current and potential pandemics needs to occur at the onset of any project in order to successfully create spaces that still enhance the patient experience. Flexibility, Functionality, aesthetic, and experience all need to be established and considered at the project kick-off meetings to ensure a successful design that will prepare these institutions for the future. l

Shannon Mastro, AIA, is an Associate Principal at King + King Architects. Having worked exclusively in Healthcare since starting her professional career, Shannon’s drive for design has certainly fed her passion for this specific market. She sees potential in all spaces, and is always looking for new opportunities when solving functional and aesthetic challenges, both on the interior and exterior of the building. Shannon enjoys working through these options with the client and her King + King colleagues—through a combination of hand sketches, drafting, and 3D modeling—to ensure the finished design meets the needs of the end users. Jeffrey Pawlowski, AIA, is a Project Manager at King + King Architects and brings almost 10 years of professional experience in the Architectural field. At King + King, he has worked on several projects with highly technical spaces including Intensive Care Units, Psychiatric Emergency Departments, and Central Kitchen Facilities. In addition to designing Healthcare Facilities, Jeff is a Past-President of American Institute of Architects Central New York Chapter, an alumnus of the Class of 2015 for Leadership Greater Syracuse and participates in several other community organizations. When Jeff is not managing projects, he is the President and CEO of his Event Planning company, Clink it Design. Jeff is a certified event planner with six years professional experience working on weddings, community organization galas and themed holiday decorating. He has served on the planning committee for the Onondaga Historical Association’s, “Our Glorious Workplaces” gala for three years and the American Institute’s annual Celebration of Architecture for five. Jeff is dedicated to his clients’ needs and works with them to achieve success at every level. During his spare time, he likes to spend the weekends at his family’s house on Lake Ontario. Jeff enjoys reading, running and relaxing. He is excited to see where the next adventure will take him.

Let Printeks bring your project to you!

Our team of skilled technicians leverage leading technology to precisely capture data to help workflow efficiency resulting in greater profitability for your business.

Construction Site Progress Recording

360°Photo & Video • Dimensional Photos • VR Tours

Construction Documentation Services

Wide Format Printing • Public Bid Hosting • Signage

High Accuracy 3D Building Surveying

Existing Conditions • Point-In-Time • Final As-Built

Deliverables Include:

• 3D Revit models • 2D Autocad Drawings • 360 Video • Raw 3D Point Cloud • Dimensional photos • Data Storage

Schedule a demo today!

-Printeks.us.com -support@printeks.us.com -25 Wallkill Avenue Montgomery, New York 12549 -845-294-0877